Samsung strengthened its commitment to foldable phones earlier today when it announced the highly anticipated new foldable device called Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. This phone is poised to be rare, as it will be released only in a few markets. One is Korea, and another is said to be China.
In China, however, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition is expected to be a little different and even slightly more special than it is in Korea. It has a different name and finish, and according to a new report, it uses more exquisite materials.
Ceramic is making a comeback after more than five years
In Korea, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition offers a glass and metal finish in the Black Shadow color. However, in China, the device sports a black and gold color combination and, instead of glass, employs ceramic for the back cover (via @UniverseIce).
Samsung hasn't used ceramic for its phones since the Galaxy S10+, the latter of which was announced in February 2019. Even then, not every Galaxy S10+ variant had a ceramic back. Most S10+ units employed a glass back panel. The ceramic model was a bit of a celebration and was harder to come by than the standard model.
In theory, the ceramic back cover might offer better protection for the new foldable phone. It did for the Galaxy S10+ in numerous tests. In our (limited experience), at least, the ceramic Galaxy S10+ proved very resilient. The Special Edition Fold in China might enjoy the same perk.
Speaking of which, there's one last thing about the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition that differs in China. It's called the Samsung W25.
The story continues after the video
According to the store page in Korea, which went live not long ago, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition rocks Gorilla Glass Victus 2 at the front and back, similar to the standard Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the Special Edition phone lacks S Pen support.
It's worth noting that Samsung hasn't revealed any availability details for other countries in its official announcement for Korea. It only said that the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition will be released in Korea on October 25 for a price exceeding $2,000.
Nevertheless, there's plenty of evidence already to suggest that the phone will indeed hit the shelves in China, even if it'll do so under a different name and with some slight build and aesthetic differences.
As to why Samsung might be putting extra effort into the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition in China, it could be because the company may want to regain some market share in the region and compete more closely with domestic brands, which have been very bold with their foldable phone designs lately.
