[ THE INVESTOR ] Samsung Electronics ’ Galaxy S8 has recently seen its Korean sales exceed the 1.3 million mark, continuing its sales momentum since its April 21 launch, according to news reports on June 26.



The S8 and its bigger-screen variant S8+ attract about 11,000 to 12,000 new buyers per day -- the highest figure within the nation’s premium handset market.











The smaller S8 alone sold more than 1 million units in just 37 days, two times faster than its predecessors S6 and S7.



Largely buoyed by the upbeat device sales, Samsung’s share price has also continued to rally in recent weeks. On June 26, the price hit a record high of 2.41 million won (US$2,123).



Some critics say the S8 sales are running out of steam as consumers are waiting for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8 that is rumored to come in September.



In a bid to maintain the sales momentum, Samsung plans to release two color variants of the S8 -- Blue Coral and Pink Gold --– in July. Sources say the company also plans to debut the Galaxy Note Fandom Edition, the refurbished version of the ill-fated Note 7, on July 7 and its successor Note 8 in August.



By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)