Samsung's Galaxy 8 breaks Samsung's record of pre-orders

Just when the Galaxy S8 was finally available for general purchase last week, the flagship broke sales records before shipping a single unit.

Amazing? Isn't it?

Pre-orders for the S8 and S8+ were up 30 percent from last year's number of reservations for the S7 and S7 Edge, according to a statement Samsung provided us via email.

While concrete sales numbers weren't disclosed, the company said the S8 had the most successful pre-sale period for a smartphone in Samsung's history. 

The phone has been received with mostly positive reviews overall, with praise coming from the massive button-free display.

Samsung president TimBaxter said, "The response is humbling, energizing and points to a great launch week."

"We aim to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the name of a better, smarter, more exciting experience for our consumers.” He added.

The flagship launch hasn't been total without a hitch, though — some of the first S8 owners reported their devices were plagued with red-tinted screens, an issue that Samsung acknowledged and has promised to fix with an upcoming software patch. 

Early adopters have also complained that Bixby, the much hyped AI assistant that warrants its own dedicated button on the side of the phones, doesn't even work at full power. Samsung stated that won't happen until "spring," which led to some intrepid S8 users to find other uses for the button, and Samsung, in turn, to block them from doing so.

Time will tell just how successful the S8 will be as it pushes through the release weekend hiccups — but one thing's for sure: as long as it can avoid the issues that plagued its explosive cousin, it'll be a step in the right direction for Samsung.