[Comprehensive] Samsung Electronics Launches Foldable Phone... 'Hit Sensation' Goes Global

Released in about 40 countries including Korea, US, and UK... Expanding to over 130 countries by October
'Galaxy Watch4' and 'Galaxy Buds2' also launched simultaneously
Domestic pre-order period extended until September 15

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Samsung Electronics, which declared the "popularization of foldables," has officially launched its 3rd generation foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. Nearly one million pre-orders were made in South Korea, leading to an extension of the pre-activation period, and in the United States, the pre-order volume has already surpassed the total sales of this year's Galaxy Z series. Fueled by the enthusiastic response, some regions are experiencing shortages and delays in activation.

Shortages and Activation Delays Overseas as Well

On the 27th, Samsung Electronics announced that the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 would be officially launched in about 40 countries worldwide, including South Korea, the United States, Canada, and across Europe such as the United Kingdom and France. The list of launch countries is expected to expand to over 130 by October. Alongside the foldable phones, the Galaxy Watch4 series smartwatches and Galaxy Buds2 wireless earphones, unveiled on the same day, will also be sold across South Korea, the United States, and Europe.

First revealed on the 11th, the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 received a response far exceeding their predecessors during pre-orders conducted in about 70 countries, accelerating sales momentum. In South Korea, more than 270,000 units were activated on the first day of pre-activation on the 24th, setting a record high. In the United States, the pre-order volume has already surpassed the total sales of this year's Galaxy Z series. In India, on the first day of pre-orders on the 24th, ahead of the launch scheduled for the 10th of next month, the reservation volume was 2.7 times higher than that of the Galaxy Note20.

Due to the unexpected popularity causing shortages, Samsung Electronics extended the activation period for pre-purchase customers in South Korea the day before, and is currently informing customers via emails and other means that activation of pre-orders may be delayed until mid-September in overseas markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Renowned IT tipster Max Jambor explained, "Considering that Samsung Electronics produced only 2 million units each of the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, the current shortage of stock is understandable."

"Foldable Production Increased by 251%"

As the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 gain popularity and take a step closer to the popularization of foldable phones, Samsung Electronics' foldable phone production volume is expected to increase rapidly. Market research firm DSCC forecasts that Samsung will produce over 1 million foldable phones per month for the next four months, resulting in an annual production increase of 251% compared to last year. According to DSCC, Samsung produced over 1.5 million foldable phones each in July and August this year, a remarkable growth considering that last year's combined foldable phone production capacity was around 500,000 units.

On the 26th, a day before the official launch, Samsung Electronics announced on its website that the activation period for pre-order customers, originally scheduled from the 24th to the 27th of this month, would be extended to the 15th of next month. Accordingly, the application period for pre-order gifts, initially from the 17th of this month to the 10th of next month, was also extended to the 30th of next month. The Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 set a new domestic record for Samsung by activating approximately 270,000 units in a single day on the 24th, when activation for pre-order customers began.

Samsung Electronics recorded about 920,000 pre-orders for the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 during the seven-day period from the 17th to the 23rd. This is approximately 1.3 times the Galaxy Note20 and about 1.8 times the Galaxy S21, and more than 10 times the pre-order sales volume of the predecessor Galaxy Z Fold2, which was 80,000 units.

Industry insiders attribute the initial success mainly to Samsung Electronics significantly reducing the price burden by lowering the foldable phone's retail price by 400,000 KRW compared to the previous model. The Z Fold3 was launched below 2 million KRW for the first time in the Fold series (ranging from 1,998,700 to 2,097,700 KRW). For the Z Flip3 (1,254,000 KRW), carrier subsidies of up to 500,000 KRW, double that of the previous model, bring the actual purchase price down to around 670,000 KRW. Additionally, improved durability compared to the previous model and technologies applied for the first time in foldables were also factors influencing purchase decisions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.