No fanfare in UAE, but Galaxy S8 still very significant

Customers checking out the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ during its first day of official sales in the UAE at Dubai's Mall of the Emirates on Friday.

Samsung Electronics' new Galaxy S8 and S8+ finally went on sale in the UAE on Friday, and while there was no party-like scenes, its launch is as significant for both the company and its loyal customers.
While indeed it was nowhere near the atmosphere being created by Apple's launch of its iPhones, the new flagship devices from the South Korean technology leader was still very much hyped in the lead-up to its unveiling as it is the company's first attempt to rebound from the nightmare it went through with the fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 last year.
It is also being pegged - given the early positive reviews it has earned - to prove naysayers of the brand wrong.
Khaleej Times observed that there were no queues or people waiting for hours to be among the first to get the mobiles early on Friday - though understandably as it was the weekend - though customers gradually trickled in as the day went on, eager to purchase their very own units.
The Galaxy S8 was actually rolled globally out last Friday, April 21, but only in four countries - the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and South Korea. On that same day, though, Samsung also began releasing units to those who pre-booked in the UAE, creating a little confusion to some who thought that they could've already started buying the phones over the counter.
That was enough to keep retailers busy. "There was a huge number of customers who pre-booked, whose units we had to release [throughout this week]," an employee of a major electronics retailer said.
"It was as if we were already actually selling the Galaxy S8."
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com