Samsung Galaxy S6 edge shortages expected in wake of high demand for curved smartphone

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge go on sale on 10 April 2015, but already the company has raised concerns that it may not be able to meet demand for the expensive edge model, which features a curved screen.

Both announced in February, the handsets are markedly improved over the year-old Galaxy S5 and the S4 before it. The S6 edge in particular has caused a stir for having a screen which curved over the left and right edges of the phone. The edge carries a £100 premium over the regular S6 (£675 compared to £575), but this hasn't put retailers and networks off, who have caught Samsung by surprise with large orders.

At a media event on the eve of the phones going on sale, J.K. Shin, chief of Samsung's mobile division, said his company will probably not be able to keep up with demand of the S6 edge, as the curved displays are more difficult to manufacturer, SamMobile reports.

The admission comes two weeks after Samsung said it was increasing production of the S6 edge to meet unexpectedly high demand from networks and retail partners, anticipating equally high interest from their customers.

Unlike the Galaxy Note Edge, which had a screen curved over the right side only and was available in very limited numbers, Samsung is selling the S6 edge as a mass-market handset to be sold alongside the regular S6 in many markets.

Shin also said the regular S6 has seen record pre-orders, contributing in no small way to the company expecting its January-March operating profits to be its highest for three quarters; this is also due to Samsung using its own Exynos processors in the new Galaxy handsets, rather than buying the components from Qualcomm, as it had done in the past.