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Samsung, Coronavirus, Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra delays in India, Galaxy S20 Ultra price in India, Galaxy S20 Plus vs iPhone 11 Pro Max

The employee of a Samsung SmartCafé hinted the delay of S20 Ultra in India could be because of Coronavirus. (Image credit: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)

No new launches, delayed smartphone shipments, and cancellation of major tech events. The coronavirus outbreak is impacting major tech companies — and Samsung is no exception. In fact, Samsung seems more vulnerable being the largest smartphone maker in the world.

Based on what has been reported so far, Samsung is temporarily shifting some of its smartphone production from South Korea to Vietnam after a worker tested positive for COVID-19 at its factory in Gumi, South Korea, which manufacturers some of its latest Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip devices for the local market.

Unlike Apple which solely relies on Foxconn for the manufacturing of iPhones and other devices, Samsung is slightly in a better position because it does not manufacture its smartphones in China. Though like any other smartphone maker, Samsung too is reliant on China-based suppliers for key electronic components. If the Coronavirus isn’t contained, Samsung is almost certainly impacted in the long run.

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Speaking of India, there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that the retail availability of the Galaxy S20 lineup- particularly the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus – are not impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak. Most retailers I spoke to told me that the latest Galaxy S20 smartphones are readily available. Employees at numerous Samsung SmartCafes in Delhi-NCR said they all had sufficient stock. Our sources in Samsung tell us things are under control as far as supply is concerned in India.

But there’s another side to it, and which is the lack of availability of the Galaxy S20 Ultra in India. Samsung was supposed to bring the Galaxy S20 Ultra at the same as the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus but has delayed the release of the top-end model. Samsung has not provided a firm release date for the Galaxy S20 Ultra in the country, but I have been told by some retailers that the phone will hit retail shelves towards the end of March.

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The employee of a Samsung SmartCafé hinted the delay of S20 Ultra in India could be because of Coronavirus. He went on to add that Samsung is not updating when it plans to send the retail units to its store. Due to this, customers who originally thought of getting the Galaxy S20 Ultra have either got the Galaxy S20+ or switched to other brands, the employee added.

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Anuj Bhatia

Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at Indianexpress.com who has spent a decade covering gadgets, apps, and gaming. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin. ... Read More

First uploaded on: 10-03-2020 at 10:38 IST