Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 And Z Flip 3 Sales Are Booming As Folding Phones Takeoff
It took a few generations, but the folding smartphone form factor has come into its own and appears to be drawing greater interest. One could argue that it has achieved mainstream status. It just depends on if the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 sales momentum in Samsung's native land can carry over to other territories.
These are fine handsets, even if they are not perfect. In our Galaxy Z Fold 3 review, we noted there is a visible crease down the center of the main display, which can either be a non-issue or somewhat distracting, depending on how it is being utilized, and the user. Battery life in our testing was only so-so, and it's an expensive phone. But otherwise, the form factor works well, and it's a speedy device courtesy in large part to the Snapdragon 888 SoC inside.
We also reviewed the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which is a different kind of folding form factor (hence the Flip designation). It offers middling battery life as well, but is a stylish design with a beautiful 120Hz display, and a more accessible price (albeit not cheap).
Imperfections aside, we like both phones overall, and we are not the only ones, apparently. According to The Korea Herald, industry officials anticipate the two phones surpassing 1 million unit sales combined this weekend, in Korea.
That seems likely, given the preorder figures—there were 920,000 preorders placed during the seven-day reservation period, and 270,000 of them were activated on the first day of the pre-activation period. While that's for both phones, if going by the combined tally, that's greater than any previous Galaxy device.
The pace is also on par with the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S8. Those are notable comparisons, because they were the fastest to reach 1 million unit sales in South Korea.
As to which is more popular, that would be the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The clamshell design is resonating with buyers, with the phone achieving a 2:1 sales ratio with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 so far. And we're not surprised. It is an attractive phone for sure, with capable hardware, solid camera performance, and a much cheaper starting price ($999.99 versus $1,799.99 without a trade-in).
What are your thoughts on these phones, and the folding form factor in general? Are you a fan? Let us know in the comments section below!
