Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition 'Sold Out'... Traffic Surge Causes Access Disruption

Sales Started at Midnight on the 21st
Over an Hour of 'Error' Pop-ups Causing Access Issues
Some Consumers Post Purchase Confirmation Messages

Sold Out Notice Posted on Samsung.com Homepage

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Samsung Electronics' 'Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition,' which went on sale from midnight on the 21st, sold out completely. Many people failed to purchase due to connection issues lasting over an hour before the sale began.

On the 21st, Samsung Electronics announced on the Samsung.com homepage notice, "Despite the unstable connection environment, the prepared quantity was fully sold out thanks to the interest of our customers," and added, "We appreciate the support for the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition and sincerely apologize once again for the inconvenience caused."

As many people tried to order the Thom Browne Edition at once, a significant number of consumers could not access the sales page. The 'error' window appeared for over an hour when attempting to connect. One user said, "I tried to access the page for over an hour, but only the error window appeared, so I failed to purchase. In this case, it would have been better to quickly display a sold-out notice." Some users even posted proof of successful purchases on social media.

The Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition is a package that includes the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Buds+, priced at 2.97 million KRW. Although it costs twice as much as the Galaxy Z Flip itself, only a few hundred units were sold in limited quantities, leading to fierce competition. Samsung Electronics abandoned plans to sell at five offline stores, including select shops in Gangnam and Jamsil, due to concerns about COVID-19, and changed the policy to sell exclusively online. After Samsung announced the sales plan, some stores were found to have accepted pre-reservations, which sparked consumer backlash.