The Samsung Galaxy S4 seems to be gaining traction in the UK even better than its predecessor, Galaxy S3. Pre-orders for the new smartphone are four times higher, reports a major retailer.
The figures were reported by UK mobile store Carphone Warehouse, which experienced record-setting pre-sales with Galaxy S3, VentureBeat reports. With new features such as eye-tracking and dual camera — not to mention Samsung marketing blitz — it's no surprise the S4 is doing so well.
"The record breaking launch of the Galaxy S3 last year was always going to be a tough one to beat," said Carphone Warehouse COO Graham Stapleton. "But Samsung have pulled out all the stops with a dazzling new device that's sure to inspire many people to make the switch to Android from other operating systems."
The Galaxy S4 won't ship until April 26 and even its prices weren't yet announced by carriers. With pre-orders at 446 percent of S3 levels, Samsung seems to be on track in the UK.
With each Galaxy release, Samsung has gained ground on Apple iPhone as the dominant smartphone, although Apple managed to sell more iPhones in the fourth quarter of 2012. The S2 sold 10 million units within two months and 30 million within five months. Samsung shipped more than 400 million overall in 2012. Carphone is embracing the influx of customers through its doors.
"We're anticipating a massive amount of customer interest in this handset and are expecting our stores to be busier than at the height of the Christmas period," Stapleton said. "We are planning to extend opening hours at our larger sites to cope with the increased demand."
