Samsung Doesn’t See Many Early Buyers for Its First Tri-Fold

Samsung is gearing up to unveil its long-rumored first tri-fold smartphone by the end of this year, likely later this month. However, the company does not expect strong early demand for this new form factor and hence reportedly plans to ship around 50,000 units. As of now, it is focusing on its seventh-generation foldable lineup, which has been selling quite well since its launch.

Samsung plans to ship a limited quantity of its upcoming tri-fold smartphone

According to a report from ETNews, Samsung has begun mass production preparations for its upcoming tri-fold device. It is already in talks with related materials and components suppliers, with plans to produce around 50,000 units. This is a modest figure, especially considering that Samsung shipped 500,000 units of its original Galaxy Fold when it first launched in 2019.

This suggests Samsung is taking a cautious approach as it has yet to gather consumers’ feedback for the new form factor. The company first wants to see how the market responds when the device becomes available. Furthermore, the new technology will increase production costs, meaning the final product will debut with a steep price tag. Rumor has it that the tri-fold could cost more than $2,900, so the sales might be sluggish.

Industry analysts expect that Samsung wants to avoid conflict with the newly launched Galaxy Z Fold 7. The phone arrives as the most advanced foldable to date with a thinner, lighter, and more durable design. It features a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip and a pro-grade 200MP main camera.

The company saw solid demand for its new fold model during the pre-order period. If it releases a large number of tri-fold phones, there could be a risk of cannibalization, meaning the tri-fold could hurt sales of the Fold 7. “The Fold 7 is performing better than expected,” said an industry insider. “It seems that they do not want to try to divert attention elsewhere by putting out a new foldable phone product.” Stay tuned for launch.