Samsung rewrites S7 launch details

Samsung Electronics Co is deploying a new strategy that's being credited for making the Galaxy S7 smartphone a surprise hit since its debut in March: Releasing it sooner and pricing it cheaper.

Sales of the company's top-end lineup are estimated to reach 9 million units during their first month on the market - or triple those of the S6 models in the same time frame last year. That's prompting analysts to raise their projections for operating profit and revenue when Samsung reports preliminary first-quarter earnings on Thursday, even as its marquee device with a wraparound screen is as much 8 percent cheaper than last year's device.

The world's biggest smartphone maker scrapped its practice of raising prices with each new model, a ploy long used by Apple Inc, as it tries to counter flattening sales growth. While Samsung's chip and display businesses probably will suffer as a result, sales of the S7 devices are being energized by critical praise, a lull in new models from Chinese makers and the lack of an iPhone 7 to sway upgraders and first-time buyers.