What you need to know
- T-Mobile Executive VP and CFO Peter Osvaldik criticized Samsung's issues providing enough smartphones to meet global demands during a recent Bank of America investors meeting.
- He hinted that Galaxy S21 supply has been inadequate to satisfy T-Mobile customers, while other carriers with Apple-loving customers were less affected.
- T-Mobile customers reportedly resent the absence of a new Galaxy Note phone.
While some company executives stick to corporate speak and toe the company line, others are more likely to let their true feelings fly. Case in point, a T-Mobile executive openly complained about Samsung's recent supply chain issues during a Bank of America Securities webcast on September 14.
Fierce Wireless listened to the private event and quotes T-Mobile CFO Peter Osvaldik as saying that "Samsung has really fallen behind the eight ball relative to other OEMs," especially Apple. Allegedly, T-Mobile customers wanted to buy more Samsung phones this year but couldn't find them.
According to Osvaldik, "a lot of our customer base are also very significant Samsung lovers," but T-Mobile hasn't been able to meet demand. He particularly criticized Samsung for discontinuing the Galaxy Note series, which "many of our customers just loved." Presumably, these customers aren't turning to the Note-esque Galaxy Z Fold 3 instead.
As for T-Mobile units of the Galaxy S21 series, they are reportedly in "very short supply." We heard months ago that the Galaxy S21 fell victim to the global chip shortage, so this claim isn't too surprising.
Those supply issues haven't gone away, either. The upcoming Galaxy S21 FE may launch in just the US and Europe due to the ongoing chip shortage, and in limited quantities. We can't imagine this will make Osvaldik or T-Mobile happy.
Carriers have a unique perspective on which of the best Android phones their customers prefer. We wonder if Samsung has gotten similar feedback about the death of the Note series and if this will contribute to a 2022 Note revival.
Otherwise, Osvaldik's public criticism of another company seems a bit like casting stones in glass houses right now. We're not far removed from the recent T-Mobile data breach that exposed the data of hundreds of millions of customers. Samsung's supply shortages stem from global shortages and lack of supply from Qualcomm, so it's unclear what Osvaldik wants the company to do differently here.
