Explosive Samsung Galaxy S6 Sales Leave Android Competitors Ducking For Cover

In the Android space, Samsung has found its form and is once again kicking tail and taking names. That wasn't true of the previous generation Galaxy S5 handsets, a solid offering in its own right, though an overall underwhelming upgrade that failed to excite even loyal fans. Then came the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, both sporting a new premium design that has Android users tripping over themselves to grab one.

Counterpoint Research's data puts the Galaxy S6 series (Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge) in second place worldwide, trailing only Apple's iPhone 6 series (iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus) in sales, making Samsung's offerings the third and fourth bestsellers in April.

As it compares to the Galaxy S5, the underselling phone that prompted Samsung to fire key executives and reorganize its mobile strategy, the Galaxy S6 series got out to a faster start and saw more initial sales than its predecessor. That in itself isn't surprising, not until you consider that the Galaxy S6 series debuted in just 20 countries, compared to the Galaxy S5 rolling out to 125 countries when it launched last year.

"Considering that fewer countries were in the initial product release, it has had a slower roll-out and lower marketing budget than the Galaxy S5, the Galaxy S6 series can be considered to be performing better than the Galaxy S5," said Tom Kang, Director, Counterpoint Research.

It's believed that Samsung's Galaxy S6 line is "cannibalizing other Android phones," and that includes Samsung's other flagship models. Not just the Galaxy S5, but also the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy A-series, with sales dropping to the tune of 30-40 percent. While that's good for the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge, it's not ideal for Samsung, as it's overall market share isn't growing.