Galaxy S8 shipment target reportedly set at 60 million units

Citing industry sources, a report out of South Korea today claims that Samsung has set a shipment target of 60 million units for the Galaxy S8. The company has reportedly asked its component suppliers to supply parts based on its shipment target of 60 million units. Samsung is also said to have confirmed to its suppliers that it has postponed the release schedule for the Galaxy S8 from March to mid-April. Another recent report claimed that the Galaxy S8 would be released on April 18.

If this shipment goal is indeed true, it shows the level of confidence that Samsung has in its upcoming flagship smartphone. The 60 million unit goal is significantly higher than the total shipments of its previous flagships. Samsung shipped 45 million units of the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy S6 and 48 million of the Galaxy S7.

According to the report, Samsung is going to start mass production of the Galaxy S8 in March and will then start rolling out 5 million units of the new flagship every month. Some analysts doubt that Samsung will be able to meet its shipment goal of 60 million units for the Galaxy S8 given that the premium smartphone market is becoming increasingly saturated. Tough competition from its Chinese rivals isn’t going to make things any easier.