Samsung Grand Plan for Galaxy S4 to Disrupt Apple’s Supply Chain – Analyst
Samsung plans to upend its bitter rival, Apple, by setting an initial production target of 100 million Galaxy S4s, with a goal of shipping out 10 million units to international markets in the immediate months of its market debut, analysts said.
Samsung's grand vision for the Galaxy S4 would likely dislocate Apple's supply chain, specifically for the tech giant's iPhone 5S and iPhone 6, Gotta Be Mobile said in a report citing Jeffries analyst Peter Misek.
The South Korean company's general roadmap for its premier mobile device plus the Galaxy Note 2 will lead "some suppliers to say that they will reallocate resources away from Apple," the same report quoted Mr Misek as saying.
Already, Apple appears grappling to adjust its production concerns, which Mr Misek is evident on the perceived delays that will mar the iPhone 6 launch, the release of which was reportedly moved from October 2013 to Q1 2014.
Apple is apparently encountering problems on supply standards that will meet the requirements of iPhone 6's bigger screen.
The situation is viewed by Samsung as working for its advantage, Gotta Be Mobile said, as it works to lure more suppliers to its fold, resulting to both near-term and long-term production woes for Apple gadgets.
Analysts believe Samsung is in a strong position to make things happen, backed by its credentials of selling more than 100 million Galaxy S smartphones so far, 40 million of which contributed by the Galaxy S3.
Per Mr Misek, the Galaxy S3 is nearing the 60 million mark, further boosting its successor's appeal to global component suppliers.
This early, hopes are high that the Galaxy S4 will easily beat the records previously set by the Galaxy S smartphones combined, owing to the electricity of excitement the handset has been generating in the past few months.
Buyers are mostly aroused by persistent suggestions that the S4 will sport a 5-inch Full HD 1080p screen on Super AMOLED plus the 8-core Exynos Octa 5 processor that boast of powerful computing and high-energy efficiency.
Also, the upcoming gadget will likely serve as the platform for the redeployment of technologies like the touch-free control first seen in a Sony handset.
By the time it is made available on April, the Galaxy S4 is expected to stand on the JellyBean 4.2.2 with the upgraded Samsung TouchWiz skin working seamlessly with the most recent Android version.