Samsung foldable phones hit 1 million in sales volume in Korea

The sales volume of Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3 has surpassed 1 million in South Korea, according to Samsung Electronics on Wednesday.

The tech giant said the total number of units of the two foldable devices sold in the Korean market reached 1 million Monday, 39 days since their debut on Aug. 11.

The foldable phones trailed only Samsung’s biggest hits of the Galaxy Note 10 and flagship Galaxy S8 in the pace of reaching the 1 million mark.

Of the 1 million units, about 70 percent are clamshell-type Z Flip3 models, leading the popularity of the foldable category, Samsung said.

Approximately 54 percent of Flip3 buyers were millennials or Generation Z consumers, the company added.

The third editions of Samsung foldable phones appear to be effectively expanding the foldable market.

Preorders for new Galaxy Z smartphones reached 920,000 units in a seven-day reservation period here, and 270,000 of them were activated on the first day of the preregistration period, a record number for any smartphone device in Korea.

Due to their high popularity, Samsung even had to extend the early activation period of preordered Galaxy Z smartphones.

To boost sales, Samsung said it decided to extend a special trade-in program in which people can exchange their old phones for the newest Galaxy Z series through Oct. 31.

The tech giant said owners of Apple smartphones, including the iPhone XS and the iPhone XR, can also apply for the program.

(song@heraldcorp.com)