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The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold, the first commercial smartphone that folds into three parts, officially concludes its market adventure in South Korea. As reported by the Korean service donga.com, sales will be halted on 17 March – just three months after its December launch. Although each batch of the device sold out within minutes, the manufacturer has decided to discontinue the project in its home market, which sheds new light on the profitability of such complicated constructions.
Showcase of technology instead of mass production
From the very beginning, the Galaxy Z Trifold was not treated as a product for the mass market. Samsung designed it as a “flagship showcase of capabilities” intended to demonstrate the company’s superiority over others in the foldable screen segment. The device, when folded, is the size of a standard smartphone (6.5 inches), but when fully opened provides a workspace with a diagonal of 10 inches. According to information coming from Korea, this model was sold in very small quantities – one-time batches from the manufacturer included around 3000 units. The interest was so high that on auction platforms, the prices for used models reached amounts nearly three times higher than the retail price. Nonetheless, Samsung did not decide to increase production.
The cost of components has destroyed the project's profitability
The main reason for the sudden cessation of sales is the sharply rising prices of key components. The previously mentioned Korean service indicates that drastic increases in the prices of DRAM and NAND memory and processors have made it unprofitable for Samsung to continue production of the Trifold. With such a complicated design, the margin was minimal, and further sales could generate losses instead of profits.
Samsung has achieved its marketing goal – the world has seen that their triple-folding screen works and is ready for use. The company now prefers to focus its resources on more profitable, standard models from the Fold and Flip series. Interestingly, in the American market, sales will continue until stocks run out, but in Korea, March 17 is the final date. The Galaxy Z Trifold did not appear in official Polish distribution and, considering the market situation, will likely remain merely a technological curiosity available to a few.
