Samsung hits 3 mln Galaxy S U.S. shipments

A man walks behind a logo of Samsung Electronics at the company's headquarters in Seoul April 30, 2010. Samsung Electronics said on Monday that three million out of its seven million global Galaxy S smartphones shipments were made to the United States since it launched the phone here in July.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics said on Monday that three million out of its seven million global Galaxy S smartphones shipments were made to the United States since it launched the phone here in July.

Sales were brisk at all four of the top U.S. operators who sell the phones, Chief Marketing Officer Paul Golden said. The phones are based on Google Inc' Android software.

"We're in a situation where we wish we had more supply," Golden told Reuters at the sidelines of an event where the phonemaker unveiled a new Galaxy S phone.

Golden would not comment on how severe the supply shortage is or when it is expected to ease but said the main bottleneck was Samsung's own AMOLED display technology, which goes into the phones' screens. Samsung has been working on boosting AMOLED production to bolster supply, Golden said.

RBC analyst Mark Sue said Samsung's U.S. Galaxy S shipment was a "good number". However the phones' success here and around the world still pales in comparison to the latest iPhone. Apple Inc said it sold more than three million of the iPhone 4's its first three weeks.

In the U.S. market iPhone is sold by one operator AT&T Inc, the second biggest service here, whereas the Galaxy S phones are sold by all the top U.S. operators.

Verizon Wireless a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, on Monday announced that it would sell the latest Galaxy S device, the Continuum in time for the holiday shopping season.

AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA, a venture of Deutsche Telekom also sell the Samsung devices.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Gary Hill and Carol Bishopric)