Samsung struggling to satisfy Galaxy S24 demand in world’s fifth most populous country

From the US to India to South Korea, the Galaxy S24 is doing better than expected, leading Samsung to raise its production targets. It’s now being reported that another market is ravenous for the South Korean giant’s latest flagships and the company is currently struggling to meet demand.

Bloomberg reports that there is unprecedented demand for the Galaxy S24 series in Pakistan and supply has been gobbled up by the country’s affluent customers.

Pakistan is the world’s fifth-most populous country, which makes it an important market for smartphone manufacturers. The country is estimated to have 192 million mobile phone users.

Pakistan’s government incentivizes smartphone manufacturers to assemble their phones in the country. Around 21 million handsets were manufactured domestically last year, mostly by local and Chinese brands. 1.7 million units were imported, per the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

The Galaxy S24 is also assembled in the country, which gives it an edge over Apple as import tax is levied on the iPhone. The tax can be as high as $650, making iPhones prohibitively expensive in Pakistan.

While most smartphone stores are still marketing the Galaxy S24, they are out of stock. Samsung says it’s working to resume sales of the phone.

This is another win for Samsung, especially considering that even though it’s the world’s seventh-largest smartphone market, Pakistan is not a rich country, and most people in the country go for affordable handsets. 

For demand to be so overwhelmingly high for what are considered expensive phones the world over that Samsung is struggling to meet it, it must mean that the company has made phones that are deemed to be irresistibly good. Or maybe people in the country are plain reckless with their money? (JK).

Either way, this is just another sign that Samsung is recovering from the pandemic-induced slump, while Apple seriously needs to consider making a $250 phone.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.