[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics’ latest flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 9 attracted more preorder sales than the Galaxy S9, released in March, mobile carriers here said on Aug, 20.

“The number of preorders for the Galaxy Note 9 is roughly 30 to 50 percent higher than the Galaxy S9,” a source from a local mobile carrier said.

The representative added that despite the stronger numbers it is still some 80 percent of the preorder numbers for last year’s Galaxy Note 8 phablet.

The overall figure for the Note 9 is viewed as being solid considering the demand for the Note 8 shot up due to the battery debacle of the Note 7 that was released in 2016.

Local mobile carriers will end preorders for the new smartphone on Aug. 20, and start handing out the devices to customers on the following day. The official release is slated for Aug. 24.

The Galaxy S9, which failed to grab the market’s attention due to a lack of distinctive features compared with predecessors, has been cited as one of major hurdles that has weighed down Samsung’s mobile business.

The Note 9 is currently seeking to revitalize the IT and mobile business through its 4,000 mAh battery along with top-notch stylus equipped with Bluetooth technology. The latest device features 512-GB of internal storage that can be extended to a whopping 1TB using a micro SD card.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)