Galaxy S5 Release Faces Possible Setback

The Samsung Galaxy S5 release date could come a little later for some carriers or could come with fewer GalaxY S5 units to sell after a six to eight-hour fire caused over 1 billion dollars in damages to components and equipment at a Samsung partner facility.

A PCB Manufacturer that makes a critical Galaxy S5 component suffered a large loss of facilities, but no loss of life on Sunday in a blaze that damaged equipment used to make a part for the Galaxy S5 and completed components.

The report from Asia News Agency, discovered by SamMobile, outlines the damage to this facility. The fire comes as Samsung is just a month away from the Galaxy S5 release date in over 150 countries. There is a potential for shortages at some carriers or regions due to a disruption in production, but Samsung is reportedly sourcing the Galaxy S5 components made at this facility from multiple partners.

This should minimize the impact of the fire on the Galaxy S5 release. SamMobile states that Samsung announced the fire will not impact Galaxy S5 production by a huge margin. The original report includes a quote from a Samsung official, stating that it is “no problem”, but some of the meaning may be lost in a machine translation of the web page.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 release is planned for 150 countries on April 11th. The U.S. carriers are talking about an April release, but are not stating which day the device will arrive on store shelves just yet. Carriers are taking names for the Galaxy S5 release, but still are not taking orders.

Even a small disruption in production can impact sales of a smartphone dramatically. In 2012 the Blue Samsung Galaxy S3 model faced a 2-3 week delay due to a problem with the back cover. Samsung reportedly trashed 600,000 plastic casings for the Blue Galaxy S3 model due to an unsatisfactory finish. Reuters estimated this issue cost Samsung nearly 2 million in sales during the May and April period.

As Samsung prepares to take on the iPhone 5s and the All New HTC One with the most refined smartphone the company designed to date the release is key. We don’t typically expect lines and sell outs at a Galaxy S5 release, but if there are delays they can push anxious consumers to buy a different phone to satisfy a need to get a new phone without waiting.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution and a water-resistant design that can keep the phone safe underwater for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. The Galaxy S5 features a new dimpled back design and keeps a removable back with access to a user swappable battery and a Micro SD card slot. The Galaxy S5 will arrive on all major U.S. carriers in April. (gottabemobile)