SEOUL: Samsung mobile chief J.K. Shin has said there could be limited supplies of its new curved-screen Smartphone because of difficulties in manufacturing the screens.
Mr. Shin, speaking at a media event in Seoul ahead of the global launch of the company’s new flagship Galaxy S6 Smartphone Friday, said that while the curved-screen Galaxy S6 Edge has garnered strong demand, the screens are difficult to manufacture.
“We’re working hard to resolve the difficulty in supply,” Mr. Shin said, noting the supply issue could persist “for a while.”
Many analysts said potential hiccups in component supply could hinder the success of Samsung’s new smart phones. The curved-screen model has garnered positive reviews for its unique design, leading some to forecast that the Edge could exceed demand of the flat-screen Galaxy S6.
Mr. Shin declined to provide shipment forecasts for the pair of new Galaxy S6 smart phones, which go on sale globally Friday. But he said he expects shipments will exceed the predecessor model.
In the U.S., Samsung said both Galaxy S6 models will be offered by all the major carriers, including Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.
The stakes are high for Samsung, which saw its previous flagship Smartphone, the Galaxy S5, and fall flat with consumers. In the one year since that launch, the Smartphone market has become more challenging for the South Korean tech giant.
On the high end, Apple’s enlarged iPhones drove record sales and challenged Samsung’s dominance of premium large-screen smart phones. On the low end, Chinese and Indian players released a raft of sleek handsets priced at a fraction of comparable Samsung smart phones.
