Samsung’s new Galaxy 2 smartphone is a hot item, and a recent theft in Malaysia now has 1,400 units hot as in contraband. The company has confirmed that a $1 million load of the just-released phablet was stolen from an airport in Kuala Lumpur, The Chosun Ilbo reports.
The theft took place on October 20th, shortly after Samsung held a launch event for the device in Malaysia. News of the incident leaked out soon after, but Samsung’s statement seems to be the first confirmation of the exact monetary value of the shipment.
As expected, police are looking into the matter, though the likelihood of recovering the phones is believed to be low.
The Ideal Mobile has published an alleged list of the IMEI numbers of the missing devices, presumably to allow interested customers to verify whether the handset they are purchasing is legal. The report also notes that Samsung’s Malaysia division has said it will not honor the warranty for the stolen units.
Smartphone launches are increasingly becoming targets for thieves. In September, 191 iPhone 5 units were stolen from Japanese carrier stores. The Galaxy Note II theft cost Samsung significantly more, though, as the value of the boosted iPhone 5s was less than $200,000.
Samsung launched the Galaxy Note II in August. The 5.5-inch handset is powered by a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor and includes an improved screen and stylus. The first Galaxy Note was a hit, selling millions in months, and the company is putting plenty of marketing power behind this second launch.
The South Korean company has become the dominant leader of the global smartphone industry, with IDC’s estimates suggesting that it sold twice as many devices as second-place Apple in the third quarter. All those devices have brought with them plenty of profit, as Samsung enjoyed yet another record quarter during the period, with $7.4 billion in earnings, up 91 percent year over year.
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