Samsung has finally launched the Galaxy Fold! Well, at least in South Korea, the company’s host country. And the arrival of the device in stores was accompanied by another good news: it is succeeding and has sold all units put up for sale.
The company has not yet published official figures, but experts assume that approximately 1,000 units were made available in this first wave through three telephone operators. According to the Korea Herald, this first batch is already sold out.
Of course a thousand units, considering a popular mobile phone, is a tiny amount. But, there are still sales in other physical stores and also made by the Samsung online store. Not to mention that Fold, priced at around $ 2,000, is one of the most expensive Android devices ever released.
The polymer OLED display of the device, for example, now has an extra film, eliminating the need for separate protection. This item has fingerprint resistance and has been attached a little more subtly, ie without obvious edges.
However, the video warns that users should beware of objects that might scratch the display, such as keys, coins and credit card. In short, it is still a very fragile device.
It even exposes the best ways to handle the smartphone, so that to activate and explore its features, just slide your fingers gently on the screen. According to the advertising video, closing it must also be done without pressure, due to the fact that it has been equipped with magnetic material, which “keeps it safe when folded”. For the same reason, there will be no need to use much force to open it.
Galaxy Fold is expensive as it is a concept that encompasses a new mechanism and a folding screen that cannot, even at its high price, easily deteriorate. Taking advantage of the new hardware, Samsung bet on more than sturdy specifications. The device uses the Snapdragon 855 chip, has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. Thee 4,380 mAh battery is divided into two parts, each on one side of the screen.
The screen is a separate show. Samsung does not skimp on panel quality in its flagships, let alone on a device that aims to draw attention precisely through media consumption. It has Quad HD + resolution (1536 x 2152) and a density of 414 ppi.
As a cost-effective concept device, South Korea keeps production under caution. Inn all, Samsung is expected to sell about one million units worldwide in this early period.
In the US, it hits stores on September 27. In Brazil, we have no release date yet.
However, the company declined to detail how many units were made available. Even so, all models sold belong to South Korea’s three major carriers. Sources point out that this first batch had only 1,000 units.
However, we also have to consider that Samsung is selling the device through its official website. Therefore, the number may be slightly higher. A curiosity raised by the company is that most consumers who purchased a Galaxy Fold are adults, aged 20 to 30 years.
In addition, 90% are male. After announcing the good reception that Fold had in its homeland, Samsung also announced that it should make a second round of sales on September 18. The company also said it plans to make up to 30,000 units of the device available in South Korea.
The second pre-sale round will take place on Wednesday (18), not only in South Korea but also in Germany and the United Kingdom. And, according to the suppliers, Sammy herself would have been surprised by the demand, so much so that she has already mobilized to relocate the devices to meet everyone.
The expectation of the manufacturer now would be to market 1 million Galaxy Folds worldwide, in this second round of pre-sales – of this amount, between 20 thousand and 30 thousand should be in the local market.
