Galaxy Fold a success with 1 million devices sold at US$2,000 a piece
Samsung Electronics President Young Sohn has revealed to an audience at Techcrunch Disrupt Berlin that the Korean company has sold 1 million Galaxy Fold hybrid smartphones. The result is exceptional for a device that is currently sold in a limited number of markets and which is priced at around US$2,000. It was also up against the odds following a spate of negative publicity following after pre-launch review units started to malfunction due to issues with its foldable display integrity and resilience.
The revised version of the Fold hit the market in September and reports of any subsequent issues with the device have been relatively limited. In our review of the Fold, we were impressed with its versatility and found that it has relatively few drawbacks. As the first device of its kind to feature a foldable Super AMOLED display (or Infinity Flex as Samsung calls it), Samsung has found a way to deliver a highly functional and useable product that is much more than just a “proof of concept.”
Although Samsung typically sells tens of millions of its high-end smartphones, cresting the 1 million units sold of the Galaxy Fold means Samsung has grossed US$2 billion in sales. Whilst that is an impressive figure, it is unlikely that the company is yet to recoup the development costs for the device or the underling display technology that makes it possible. The gamble, however, has clearly paid off and with any luck will see Samsung stick with this smartphone/tablet hybrid approach for future models, in addition to the forthcoming clamshell model.
