Samsung Galaxy Note 2 worldwide sales hit 5 million

Samsung has confirmed that it has sold more than five million units of its flagship phone-meets-tablet: Galaxy Note 2 smartphone worldwide, since its release just two months ago

The South Korean tech manufacturer said in a statement that the 5.5in device is selling at a rate nearly three times faster than its predecessor, the original Galaxy Note. The Galaxy Note 2 hit the three million mark in the first 30 days after its release, while the Galaxy Note took nearly three months to reach that figure.

The 5.5-inch device is expected to bring in 20 million sales, Samsung predicts, which would double that of its predecessor, The Galaxy Note, which passed the 10 million milestone within 9 months. While that may not be as fast as the Galaxy S III — which rocketed up 30 million channel sales just 150 days after the launch — the fact that the original Note was very much the first in its class, makes the feat impressive.

Samsung may frustrate us by providing figures that do not directly compare to Apple’s own end user sales figures, but others have crunched estimates on consumer purchase figures. Analyst firm Strategy Analytics believes that the Galaxy S III outsold the iPhone 5 in the third quarter of 2012, although the Apple phone only launch in September and demand massively outweighed supply, constricting potential sales figures

We’ll have to wait on end user estimates for the Galaxy Note, described as a larger version of the Galaxy S III. Its nearest comparison at Apple is arguably the iPad mini, which lacks some phone-like features since it is a shrunken tablet.

The 7.9-inch Apple device sold out within three days of launch but, as those of us in Asia well know, the over-sized style of the Note is particularly popular in Eastern markets like Korea and Japan. It will be interesting to see how the second incarnation performs in markets like the US and Europe, and whether the launch of the iPad mini will help or hinder interest in unconventionally-sized devices.

Apple seems to think that the Note takes its cue from its own range of devices. Over the weekend, the Cupertino company added the Note II to its ongoing patent lawsuit against Samsung, citing the fact that it uses the Jelly Bean Android operating system.

Reference: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 reaches 5 million sales milestone in two months

Samsung’s Galaxy Note II hits 5 million channel sales, adding 2 million over the last 24 days

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Breaks 5 Million In Sales Following US Release Date