You might want to hold on to that box and packaging for your Samsung Galaxy Tab a little longer. Although the company has been bragging about their unexpected higher sales this past year, recent stats show that people are buying less Galaxy Tabs than records are showing. Now, ITG Investment Research has found out by January 2011, 16 percent of all purchases were eventually returned.
“Consumers aren’t in love with the device,” ITG Consumer tech analyst Tony Berkman said to the New York Post.
The number is up since after the holiday season. Before people returned about 13 percent of their tablets, meaning that people are making a lot of gift returns. It’s especially bad when you compare it to Verizon’s iPad return rate, which is at a small two percent. A lot of analysts are blaming the fact that the Galaxy Tab runs on Android’s Froyo platform, which was meant for smaller screens like those on smartphones and not for tablet functions. Technology Business Research senior analyst Ezra Gottheil cautions that companies should wait until the technology is right.
“If you want to get a device out — if you’re [a manufacturer] — do you have to go with what’s available right now or do you wait for the next generation to come out?” said Gottheil. “That’s the issue Samsung and other manufacturers run into.”
Are you happy with your Samsung Tab or are you getting in line for returns?
More on TIME.com:
Android Tops Smartphones but Tablets Still Seeking Foothold
Dell’s 7-inch Tablet Hits Soon at $200, Competes with Galaxy Tab
HP Tablet Might Just Be A Small Piece Of A Palm-Infused Puzzle