Samsung has decided to discontinue its Galaxy Z TriFold, the company’s first three-panel foldable phone, just three months after its launch in the US. Priced at $2,899, sales of the device will be phased out in Korea first, followed by the US once existing inventory is depleted, as per an unnamed Samsung spokesperson speaking to Bloomberg.
According to a report from Dong-A Ilbo, the TriFold will receive its final restock in Korea on March 17th. Samsung’s website no longer provides restock information for the foldable, indicating it as ‘sold out’ in the US.
The Galaxy Z TriFold, which had limited availability solely through Samsung, saw only 6,000 units sold in Korea since its December 12th launch. In contrast, Huawei has already progressed to the second generation of its trifold phone, although the Mate XTs remains exclusive to China.
The decision to halt production is attributed to high manufacturing costs, with component prices soaring to levels where profitability for Samsung became unattainable. While Samsung’s mobile business chief Won-Joon Choi hinted at the possibility of integrating certain features of the TriFold into future foldable models, the company has not committed to a direct successor.
As online inventories dwindle in the US, interested buyers may have to resort to third-party resellers or the secondary market to acquire the short-lived Galaxy Z TriFold. However, caution is advised due to the scarcity and potential price markups in these channels.
Source: The Verge