The Samsung Galaxy S9 has done something that no other Galaxy S phone has ever done, but unfortunately, it is not something for the current Samsung flagship smartphone to brag about.

Expectations for the Galaxy S9, released in March, were very high, especially as it went up against the iPhone X. However, it seems that the smartphone's challenge has fallen short.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Sales

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus shipments, according to South Korean news website The Bell, were reported at a respectable 9 million units for the second quarter.

However, the problem is that Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus shipments in the first quarter were at 10 million units. This gives the smartphone the ill-fated distinction of being the first Samsung Galaxy S smartphone with lower shipments in the second quarter than in the first quarter.

Samsung usually launches its Galaxy S flagship smartphones near the end of the first quarter, so it would make sense that shipments are higher in the second quarter. The figures reported by The Bell reveal that the Galaxy S9 actually had a great start, but it had no staying power amid competition in the high-end smartphone industry currently dominated by the iPhone X.

Possible reasons for the uninspired performance of the Galaxy S9 include a declining high-end Android smartphone market, as well as the simply incremental, not radical, upgrades that Samsung has been making on its Galaxy S devices.

Will Samsung Bounce Back With The Galaxy Note 9?

With lackluster sales, it is still unfair to call the Galaxy S9 as the worse Samsung Galaxy phone ever. In case people have forgotten, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus camera took the top spot in the DxOMark smartphone rankings in March. The Samsung Galaxy S9 even beat the iPhone X in the Consumer Reports smartphone ratings in April, when it also supposedly surpassed iPhone X sales.

Samsung itself apparently knew that the Galaxy S9 will not perform well. In its first quarter results, the company said that it expected a slowdown in the sales of its flagship models in the second quarter, without giving a specific reason other than increasing competition in the industry.

Samsung, however, will be looking to bounce back with the Galaxy Note 9, which will be unveiled on Aug. 9. It remains to be seen if the Galaxy Note 9 will reverse the fortunes of Samsung though, due to a price tag that will likely start at over $1,000.