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Consumers didn’t line up at midnight to be among the first to buy the latest Samsung Galaxy S5 phone.
Then again, they didn’t need to break out the blankets and lawn chairs: Mobile phone providers such as T-Mobile and Sprint allowed customers to order the phone in advance.
“We’re seeing a lot of strong consumer interest,” said T-Mobile spokesman Clint Patterson. “It’s the most successful preregistration we’ve ever done.”
More than 500,000 people asked T-Mobile to notify them when the new smartphone went on sale. The carrier declined to provide information about advance orders, saying such information would be reflected in its earnings call with investors.
Sprint similarly pronounced itself “pleased” with consumer response to the new device, which some product reviewers described as evolutionary, not revolutionary. Re/code’s Walt Mossberg was among the reviewers who lauded the device’s water-resistant feature, which would allow it to survive a plunge in the toilet.
Sprint spokesman Mark Elliot declined to provide details about advance orders.
An informal survey of stores in downtown San Francisco found healthy preorders for the Galaxy S5, but no long lines at the purchase counter.
The Samsung Galaxy phones have been a major growth driver for the South Korean technology giant, which is looking for the fifth installment of the flagship phone to boost its bottom line. Earlier this month, the company forecast a drop in profit for the January-through-March quarter — its second in a row.
The Galaxy S5 got off to a slow start in its home market, Reuters reported, amid criticism that the device lacked arresting new features.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
