"KT, 10 Times More Popular Than Previous Model, Starts Samsung Foldable Pre-Orders Today"

Table tennis national team player Shin Yu-bin (left) and basketball national team player Heo Hoon (right) are attending the opening event held on the morning of the 24th via a non-face-to-face online live broadcast.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] KT announced that starting from the 24th, it will begin pre-activation of Samsung Electronics' new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. The official release date for both products is the 27th.

According to KT, during the 7-day pre-order period from the 17th to the 23rd, the number of applications for the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 was about 10 times higher compared to previously released foldable phones. The most reserved device was the Z Flip3, which accounted for 71% of the total selections.

By color, for the Z Flip3, customer preferences ranked as ‘Cream’, ‘Lavender’, ‘Phantom Black’, and ‘Green’, while for the Z Fold3, the order was ‘Phantom Black’, ‘Phantom Silver’, and ‘Phantom Green’. Among Z Fold3 pre-order customers, those in their 30s made up 30%, 40s 27%, 50s 18%, and 20s 16%. For the Z Flip3, the distribution was 30s 31%, 20s 22%, 40s 21%, and 50s 15%.

KT held the activation event for the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 at the KT Avenue Gangnam store on the same day. The event, which was broadcast on the YouTube channel, featured table tennis national representative Shin Yubin and basketball national representative Heo Hoon, along with 100 foldable phone pre-order customers who were selected through a lottery and participated via the ‘Eventus Webinar’ platform.

The 100 customers who participated in the event were given various prizes through a quiz tournament, including ▲Galaxy Watch 4 ▲Domino’s Pizza ▲Starbucks Americano gift cards. Customers who won the first activation for the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 received gifts of the ‘Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G’ and ‘Galaxy Watch4 Classic’. Lee Geonyeong (25), the first Z Fold3 activation customer, said, “The Z Fold3 is a phone with many more attractive features compared to its predecessor. I am happy to receive a discount on the fee by using KT’s ‘Premium Single Bundle.’”

KT emphasized that customers who feel burdened by purchasing foldable phones can receive discounts on fees through KT’s Super Change program, interest-free installment cards, and affiliated cards. The Super Change program, which allows customers to return their foldable phone after two years and exchange it for a new Galaxy premium phone, compensates up to 50% of the original price. It also offers an additional 3-year option and benefits for long-term users. Customers using unlocked foldable phones can also subscribe to Super Change.

Kim Byungkyun, Head of KT Device Business Division (Executive Director), said, “The Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 are devices equipped with new advantages,” adding, “We have prepared various benefits that customers need, such as the activation event, Premium Single Bundle, and Super Change, and we hope many people will join KT.”