Earlier this month everyone was under the impression that Google and Apple would swiftly move in to take advantage of the fact that Samsung recalled its plagued Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. Now, however, it seems that both companies don’t have enough inventory to meet the needs of a sudden spike in demand for their iPhone 7 and Google Pixel.
According to a report in the Financial Times, both companies have failed to fill “the void in the mobile market left by Samsung’s withdrawal of its Galaxy Note 7.”
We already know Apple has confirmed the above-expected demand for the iPhone 7 Plus, as stated during their fourth quarter earnings call this past Tuesday, but it seems that Google is also hard-pressed to keep its inventory levels up.
A Google representative recently said: “We’re thrilled to see the excitement for our new Pixel phones, and frankly pre-order demand has exceeded our expectations. We’re working to restock our inventory as soon as possible.”
That means neither company is in a position to exploit the damaged sentiments of Note 7 owners, who are now in a quandary as to which device to switch to. According to a 9to5Mac report a week ago:
“Out of approximately 12 million Note 7 orders, KGI claims Apple will be able to reap about 50% of the customers with the rest being shared amongst Android manufacturers like Huawei. It is also worth noting that the ‘Google Phone’, the new Pixel, is currently out of stock and a very good choice for ex-Samsung customers.”
So Apple has essentially dropped the ball on 6 million potential orders for iPhone 7 and, more specifically, the iPhone 7 Plus. Current wait time for iPhone 7 Plus shows about 8 weeks on Apple’s website.
Unless Google and Apple can both move things around quickly to get more inventory as soon as possible, other smartphone makers like Xiaomi will swoop in and take away a lot of customers. Xiaomi is all set to launch a revolutionary phone called the Mi Mix, which will be launched in China on November 4. If they decide to more quickly into the United States with this phone, it could spell trouble for Apple and Google both – not to mention Samsung, which has already lost a tremendous amount of goodwill in this market.
On Samsung’s part, the South-Korean electronics giant is already preparing the way for next year’s Galaxy Note 8, S8 and a possible foldable smartphone currently using the codename Galaxy X.
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