Samsung has carefully controlled the release of the Galaxy Fold. South Korea was the first country to get it. The first pre-order batch quickly sold out there and it was a similar story for subsequent batches.
Ahead of the iPhone 11's expected release in South Korea this week, Samsung has now made its foldable smartphone readily available in the country. Customers no longer have to place a pre-order for the Galaxy Fold.
South Koreans can buy the Galaxy Fold without a pre-order now
Starting today, the Galaxy Fold is readily available for purchase in South Korea. It's being sold through the retail network of Samsung and its local carrier partners. Customers can also place an order directly on Samsung's website.
Ever since the Galaxy Fold was released in South Korea last month, it could only be purchased through a pre-order. It's much easier for customers to purchase the Galaxy Fold on a whim now. They can walk into a Samsung store and walk out with a Galaxy Fold within minutes.
The Galaxy Fold has been released in many countries over the past month. Samsung has employed the same strategy everywhere. It's only available to pre-order customers and quantities are limited. It remains to be seen if Samsung will be opening up general sales of the device in other markets soon.
An earlier report today suggested that Samsung has sold 500,000 Galaxy Fold units so far. The company also has an ambitious goal of selling 6 million foldable devices next year. It's going to release a new foldable device in the coming year that may have a lower price point. That might help move more units but it will be interesting to see if that 6 million unit target can be met.
