Initial Shipment Forecast to Be around 10,000 Units

The Galaxy Fold will be released in the South Korean market on Sept. 6.

Samsung Electronics Co. is releasing its redesigned Galaxy Fold in South Korea on Sept. 6. The company delayed the release of the phone by four months after reviewers reported screen breakages, flickering and bulging. However, the Galaxy Fold is expected to be a limited edition as the first batch will be less than 10,000 units, and the number of the phones sold by mobile carriers will be much smaller than that.

In addition, Samsung Electronics is reportedly planning to unveil the Galaxy Fold at the IFA 2019 consumer electronics showcase event in Germany and launch it in South Korea on Sept. 6 at the same time.

Samsung was previously planning on a mid-September launch, but for some reason, decided to bring it forward by two weeks.

However, demand for the smartphone is forecast to come from some early adopters even if it hits the domestic market. Initially, the total global supply was estimated at 1 million units, with 100,000 units allotted for South Korea. However, the first batch of the new phone will be far less than the estimate. Some experts expect that the first batch in the domestic market will be less than 10,000 units.

As the new smartphone is likely to be priced at 2.30 million won to 2.40 million won (US$1,899 to US$1,982), the high price will be an entry barrier for general consumers. Samsung Electronics will only release the Galaxy Fold 5G in South Korea, just like the Galaxy Note 10.

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