The Apple iPhone 15 has been in stores for less than a week, but rival Samsung is already anticipating high sales. This is reason enough to bring the launch of the Galaxy S24 series forward.
But first, let's go back to April of 2023. That was when it was rumored that Samsung had brought forward the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5. The reason would be to beat the Google Pixel Fold to the punch. And now a similar rumor is surfacing about the Galaxy S24 and its direct competitor; the iPhone 15.
The rumor comes out of Samsung's own home country, South Korea. According to newspaper The Elec, Samsung is bringing forward the launch of the S24 series by one month to counter the higher-than-expected demand for the iPhone 15-Series. With this, the launch of the S24 series would take place in January instead of February.
Keynote vs Unpacked
Every year, Apple and Samsung introduce their new flagships at set times. Apple traditionally plans its keynote in September, before holiday season. Samsung plans its Unpacked event at the beginning of the year. Usually that is in February, as was the case at the time with the S23, S22, S20 and S10. An early launch in January is unusual but not uncommon. For example, the S21 was also released in January.
Foldables
In addition to an Unpacked event at the beginning of the year, Samsung often holds a second year for its foldable lineup. That event is usually in the same month as Apple's keynote, though it took place earlier this year. Here, we saw the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 being announced. According to the same source, these sales are up 8-10% over the previous model but are below what Samsung projected. An earlier launch of the S24 series could also make up that difference.
