Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold was a brave experiment that largely worked out well, but the experiment might be coming to an end.
A new report from Korean outlet Donga claims that Samsung is ending the sales of the TriFold in Korea just three months after launch. In the U.S., the TriFold is still available, but sales will only continue until the current production volume is sold out.
For such a novelty device – the first Samsung tri-folding phone to hit the mass market – the TriFold was a success. Reviewers loved it (I’ve tried it briefly, and was impressed by the size and quality of its display when fully unfolded), and it was sold out shortly after launch (though this may be attributed to production volume being small), despite its high price tag of $2,899.
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But Donga cites industry sources as saying that the TriFold, while successful, had such high production costs that it was unprofitable even at that price. The costs further increased after the prices of certain parts, including memory chips, have risen through the roof.
The report quotes industry insiders as saying that the TriFold was a product to showcase Samsung’s tech prowess, and that it was never intended to generate major sales revenue.
The question is whether Samsung will follow up with another tri-folding device, or perhaps use some of the tech from the TriFold in one of its upcoming foldables. The company is likely to launch new Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 next summer, and a possible “Wide” version of the Galaxy Z Fold is rumored as well.
