While we knew that manufacturing issues were behind Samsung's Galaxy S III delays, a report by Reuters indicates that these holdups could push two million handset shipments that were expected to happen at the end of Q2 into the beginning of Q3. These numbers come courtesy of Barclays, a British multi-national bank that also estimates that Samsung's Q3 shipments will top 15 million.
An inconsistency in the finish of the Pebble Blue-colored Galaxy S IIIs plastic housing turned out to be the root of the international delays. The flaw was so pervasive that the CEO in place during the late-May launch, Choi Gee-sung (who has since been replaced), threw out nearly half a million defective housings, according to Reuters. This came right before the meeting with Apple's CEO Tim Cook where an unsuccessful armistice over patent litigation was proposed.
Despite the setback, Samsung's outlook seems bright at this point — with over 44.5 million phones sold in Q1 and nearly 50 million sold in this quarter, it would appear that Samsung is becoming the Apple competitor it set out to be when it launched the first Galaxy S smartphone. However, we're still two quarters away from the end of the fiscal year and Apple's next iPhone will undoubtedly make an impact as we approach the holiday season.