Galaxy Z Fold8 sales increased 10% after Apple introduced iPhone Duo
(Dan Tri) - Galaxy Z Fold8 sales in Korea increased by about 10% in a week after Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, in the context of the two folding phone models having a significant difference in price.
The appearance of the first folding screen iPhone not only attracted attention to Apple but also created notable developments in the folding phone market in Korea.
According to The Korea Times, Galaxy Z Fold8 sales in Korea increased about 10% in the week after Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, compared to the previous week.
Galaxy Z Fold8 recorded a sales increase of about 10% in Korea in a week after the iPhone Duo was introduced (Photo: Doan Thuy).
The source believes that the increase partly comes from customers who previously delayed their decision to buy a new phone to wait for Apple's first folding screen product. After the iPhone Duo was announced, a part of them is said to have chosen the Galaxy Z Fold8.
However, the report does not provide specific device sales numbers. The 10% increase also only reflects fluctuations over a period of one week in the Korean market, not enough to show the long-term trend of the folding screen smartphone market.
The price difference is more than 1 million won
According to industry sources cited by The Korea Times, selling price and hardware specifications are factors believed to impact Korean consumers' purchasing decisions.
In this market, the 256GB iPhone Duo version costs 3.29 million won, equivalent to about 61 million VND. Meanwhile, Galaxy Z Fold8 with 256GB capacity is listed at 2.28 million won, about 42 million VND.
Thus, the difference between the two devices is up to 1.01 million won, equivalent to about 19 million VND. Based on the listed price, the 256GB iPhone Duo is about 44% more expensive than the Galaxy Z Fold8 with the same capacity in Korea.
iPhone Duo has a starting price of 3.29 million won, equivalent to about 61 million VND in Korea, significantly higher than the Galaxy Z Fold8 with the same capacity (Photo: Engadget).
The gap continues to widen when users choose iPhone Duo versions with higher memory. The 2TB version of the first folding screen iPhone is listed at 5.09 million won, equivalent to about 94 million VND.
Notably, the price difference between the two products in Korea is significantly larger than in the US market.
According to The Korea Times, the 256GB version of iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold8 in the US is only about 100 USD apart, equivalent to 2.6 million VND. Meanwhile, the gap in Korea exceeds 1 million won.
This makes price a notable factor when Korean consumers consider between two high-end folding screen phones.
New competition in the folding phone market
iPhone Duo marks the first time Apple has entered the folding screen phone segment, where Samsung has developed many generations of Galaxy Z Fold products.
The appearance of a new competitor means that users interested in folding phones have more options, and can directly compare design, software, specifications and price before deciding to buy the device.
Galaxy Z Fold8 sales developments in the week after the iPhone Duo was introduced showed that Apple's entry into the market did not necessarily cause an immediate decline in demand for existing folding devices.
Galaxy Z Fold8 is one of the notable options in the high-end folding screen phone market in Korea (Photo: Doan Thuy).
Conversely, the attention paid to the iPhone Duo can also make consumers more interested in the entire segment, thereby considering the products currently on the market.
However, it is not possible to determine how much of the Galaxy Z Fold8 sales increase comes from selling price, product specifications or other factors.
Comments on the group of customers who waited for the iPhone Duo and then switched to the Galaxy Z Fold8 come from industry sources, rather than a direct survey of buyers.
Current data is only recorded in Korea, Samsung's home market. Therefore, there is no basis to expand this development into a trend in other markets.
In the near future, sales of both devices will provide more data on consumer reactions when Apple officially enters the foldable phone segment.
In the immediate future, the increase of about 10% of Galaxy Z Fold8 shows that the launch of iPhone Duo has created a notable development in Korea, in which the price gap between the two products may be one of the factors affecting buyers' choices.