After showcasing the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus late last month, Samsung Electronics kicked off local preorders on Friday which will last until next Monday. The official release is slated for later in April.

"Until now, preorders for the Galaxy S8 reached 620,000 units, with the 128GB Galaxy S8 Plus accounting for 150,000 units," an official from Samsung Electronics said.

Samsung may face hurdles in meeting stronger than expected demand for the new smartphones. The company said preorders for the Galaxy S8 Plus have already matched its inventory, hinting at a delay in the shipment of the high-end devices to early adopters.

Given the current pace, preorders for the Galaxy S8 series may reach 1 million units, industry watchers expect, and those who preordered may not be able to receive the product even after the official release slated for April 21.

Samsung faced a shortage of devices when it released the Galaxy Note 7 phablet last year, with preorders hitting 400,000 units from Aug. 6 to 18. (Yonhap)