Z Flip and Fold3 Surpass 920,000 Units in 7 Days
Annual Sales Expected to Easily Exceed 10 Million Units
Customers are making pre-orders at the Samsung Digital Plaza Hongdae Main Store in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 16th, the start date for pre-order registration of Samsung Electronics' new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Samsung Electronics' flagship smartphones, the 'Galaxy Z Flip and Fold4,' have set a new record with nearly 1 million pre-orders. The three major carriers will conduct early activation for the 'Galaxy Z Flip and Fold4' series from the 23rd to the 25th. The official product launch is on the 26th.
970,000 Pre-orders in One Week, Surpassing 920,000 of Z Series 3
Samsung Electronics announced on the 23rd that the pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold4, conducted over seven days from the 16th to the 22nd, totaled approximately 970,000 units. This figure surpasses the 920,000 units sold in seven days of the previous record-breaking foldable smartphones, the Z Flip and Fold3. In particular, the average daily pre-order volume for the Z Flip and Z Fold4 was about 138,000 units, exceeding the Galaxy S22 series' pre-orders of 1.02 million units over eight days (approximately 127,000 units per day). This marks the highest performance among all Galaxy series to date.
The market evaluates that considering the difficult conditions such as the global economic downturn, the pre-orders for the Z Flip and Fold4 performed remarkably well. Last year, Samsung Electronics' foldable phone sales approached 10 million units, driven by the success of the Z Flip and Fold3. Industry experts predict that Samsung will comfortably exceed 10 million units in annual sales this year with the Z Flip and Fold4.
On the first day of activation for pre-order customers, it is expected that over 300,000 units will be activated. The previous model saw 270,000 units activated on the first day. Above all, the pricing policy is credited for this success. It means the price was set lower than market expectations. Despite several adverse factors such as exchange rate increases and raw material price hikes, the Z Fold4 was priced at 1,998,700 KRW for the 256GB model, the same as last year. The Z Flip4 was priced at 1,353,000 KRW for the 256GB model, which is 99,000 KRW higher than the previous year.
Customers in Their 20s and 30s Account for 60% of Total Subscribers, Pink, Blue, and Purple Colors Popular
According to the pre-order results from the three major carriers, the more popular model between the two was the Z Flip4. KT reported that 66% of customers chose the Z Flip4. The Z Fold4 received 34% of the selections, about 5 percentage points higher than its predecessor. LG Uplus also showed a 6:4 ratio between the Z Flip4 and Z Fold4 models.
By age group, the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) made the most purchases. On SKT's official online store, T Direct Shop, customers in their 20s and 30s accounted for about 60% of all pre-order subscribers. For each device, women in their 20s and 30s made up 37% of Z Flip4 pre-orders. For the Z Fold4, men in their 30s and 40s accounted for 52%.
New colors were especially popular. By color, the choices ranked as follows: 'Pink Gold (29%)', 'Blue (27%)', 'Purple (23%)', and 'Graphite (21%)'. For the Z Fold4, customer responses were favorable for 'Beige (37%)', 'Gray Green (32%)', and 'Black (31%)'.
Fierce Competition Among Three Carriers, Maximum Official Subsidy of 650,000 KRW... Half Price from the Start
The competition among carriers for subscriber acquisition has ignited, with the official subsidy reaching the maximum limit of 650,000 KRW (based on KT). Accordingly, when purchasing the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold4 at the three carriers' dealerships, consumers benefit more from the official subsidy than from the 25% monthly discount on fees (optional contract).
Receiving the official subsidy plus the dealership's additional subsidy (15% of the official subsidy) is about 10,000 to 30,000 KRW cheaper than receiving a discount on fees over two years. The official subsidy is a smartphone discount amount provided on the condition of maintaining a specific plan for two years. KT offers subsidies ranging from 156,000 to 650,000 KRW depending on the plan, SKT provides 280,000 to 520,000 KRW, and LG Uplus has confirmed subsidies from 175,000 to 500,000 KRW.
SKT customers purchasing the Z Fold4 (256GB) and Z Flip4 with an unlimited plan (89,000 KRW) can receive a total phone discount of 552,000 KRW each. Additionally, when purchasing with a partner card, they can get up to 630,000 KRW in discounts, including a 150,000 KRW cashback. Furthermore, if choosing 'T Safe Compensation' by trading in their old phone, customers can receive up to 540,000 KRW in used phone compensation based on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, plus an additional 100,000 KRW Samsung special compensation, totaling up to 640,000 KRW in discounts. When combined with partner card discounts, the total discount can reach up to 1,270,000 KRW.
KT customers purchasing a phone with an unlimited plan (80,000 KRW) receive a total device discount of 517,500 KRW. Using partner discounts, they can also get about 85,000 KRW in installment fees waived, 70,000 KRW cashback, and up to 960,000 KRW in monthly communication fee discounts over 24 months. There is also a used phone trade-in discount.
LG Uplus offers a device discount of 575,000 KRW when using an unlimited plan (85,000 KRW). Using a partner card can provide about 600,000 KRW in discounts.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
