They accused Samsung of not innovating, and then came the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, a device that seemed like it wouldn't sell extremely well, but that burst onto the market with incredible figures for being just the experiment that it was. Samsung knew what it was doing, obviously, and more than a year later, with a second version of the device on the market, they continue to achieve great figures, since the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 already exceeds the five million units shipped worldwide.
And we say all this without forgetting that it was the South Korean company that invented a new prototype of mobile phone, which was somewhere between a smartphone and a tablet, with a screen larger than five inchesAlthough some saw it as more of a brick than anything else, too big to carry in a pocket, the truth is that it achieved good sales figures. What's more, it was not only a sales success, but it has also become the prototype for future ones. high-end smartphones, which are increasingly increasing the size of their screen.
The news is that this device model continues to be successful in the market. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has now surpassed the five million unit mark shipped. We'd like to remind you that earlier this month we said they'd already sold three million, so that's definitely good news for South Koreans. The report allows us to compare: while the original Galaxy Note took five months to surpass this mark, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 It took two months less, a clear sign of the great success that this Samsung phablet is reaping, which is gaining more and more followers. We will see how this mobile continues to be sold, and what it achieves for the end of the year sales.
Sales and adoption rate
Official figures indicate that the Note II reached 3 million in 37 days and surpassed five million in a significantly shorter time than its predecessor. Furthermore, several press releases and specialized coverage highlighted that these metrics mix sold units units shipped to channels (operators and retail), so it is important to distinguish between both concepts when evaluating their success and availability in markets.
The Note II's pace was approximately the twice as fast than the first Note in its initial window. Samsung even set ambitious goals close to the 20 million for the family, and over time different regional presentations attributed tens of millions to this second generation. Its deployment was staggered in Korea, United States, China, Indonesia and Europe (including Spain), supported by very strong global marketing, with a special focus on North America and striking actions even in Canada.
Key specifications and value proposition
The Galaxy Note II established itself as a device of high end thanks to a screen HD 1280 × 720 5,5 inches, a processor 1,6 GHz quad-core, 2 GB of RAM and rear camera of 8 SM. Its differentiator was the S Pen, with sensitivity of 24 pressure levels to write, draw, and navigate with precision, reinforcing the concept of mobile productivity between smartphone and tablet that drove the term “phablet.”
Market impact and competitive context
The good reception of the Note II coexisted with the push of the Galaxy S III, whose sales exceeded 30 million, and with reports from analysts such as IDC placing Samsung as leader in smartphones by volume, with tens of millions of units distributed in a quarter. In parallel, the brand faced patent litigation with Apple in US courts, where the Note II was even included in listings of disputed products, prolonging a high-profile legal battle.
With a format that “was not for everyone” but was for those who demanded it large screen and stylus, the Note II set the pace for the market: it accelerated the adoption of ever-larger panels in the high-end and demonstrated that the hybrid between phone and tablet could be profitable and sustainable, both in direct sales and in brand visibility and ecosystem of apps optimized for the S Pen.
