Updated

Updated · 매일경제 · Sep 17

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Sales Rise 10% in Korea as Apple Prices iPhone Duo at 3.29 Million Won

Updated

Updated · 매일경제 · Sep 17

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Sales Rise 10% in Korea as Apple Prices iPhone Duo at 3.29 Million Won

Q: Why did Apple's highly anticipated first foldable smartphone accidentally trigger a massive sales spike for Samsung in South Korea?

Apple’s foldable debut appears to have pushed many South Korean buyers toward Samsung because it made Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 look like the better immediate value. In the week after Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, Galaxy Z Fold8 sales in Korea rose about 10 percent. Industry sources say a key reason was timing: some consumers had delayed buying a foldable while waiting to see Apple’s first model, then switched once they learned the iPhone Duo would not arrive in Korea until late October or early November. Samsung’s phone was already on shelves. Price was the biggest trigger. In Korea, the 256GB iPhone Duo starts at 3.29 million won, more than 1 million won above the Galaxy Z Fold8’s 2.28 million won. The top-end 2TB iPhone Duo costs 5.09 million won. That gap is especially striking in Samsung’s home market, where the company keeps pricing relatively aggressive. Specs also seem to have hurt Apple in this comparison. The iPhone Duo is heavier and thicker when folded than the Galaxy Z Fold8, and its multitasking is more limited, mainly supporting two-app split screen versus Samsung’s three-app setup. For Korean buyers considering a foldable mainly for portability and productivity, those differences matter. So Apple’s launch boosted Samsung not because interest in foldables weakened, but because Apple’s late local release, premium pricing and less flexible multitasking gave waiting customers a reason to stop waiting and buy Samsung instead.

3 articles · Updated · 매일경제 · Sep 17

Galaxy Z Fold8 sales in South Korea climbed about 10% in the week after Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, indicating some buyers switched after waiting for Apple’s first foldable.
Late-October to early-November timing for the iPhone Duo’s Korea launch appears to have pushed consumers wanting a foldable now toward Samsung instead.
Price likely helped: the 256GB iPhone Duo starts at 3.29 million won in Korea versus 2.28 million won for the Z Fold8, a gap of more than 1 million won.
Hardware differences also favor Samsung for some users—the iPhone Duo is 53 grams heavier, 0.7 millimeters thicker when folded, and mainly supports two-way split-screen multitasking versus three apps on the Z Fold8.
Apple’s entry into foldables is set to sharpen competition with Samsung, with Korean buyers likely to keep comparing the two on price, portability and large-screen usability after the iPhone Duo launches.