Seoul: Domestic sales of Samsung Electronics Co.'s new Galaxy Z Fold 8 smartphone have seen an uptick following the unveiling of Apple Inc.'s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, industry sources said Thursday. Sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in South Korea rose about 10 percent in the week following the unveiling of the iPhone Duo compared to the previous week, according to the telecommunications industry.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the increase in sales is believed to have been influenced by consumers who had postponed their purchases while anticipating Apple's new product and ultimately chose the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The iPhone Duo's pricing and hardware specifications are also considered influential factors in the purchasing decisions of South Korean consumers.
In South Korea, the iPhone Duo is priced at 3.29 million won (approximately US$2,380) for the 256-gigabyte model, which is over 1 million won higher than the 2.28 million won price tag of the 256GB Galaxy Z Fold 8. The 2-terabyte iPhone Duo model is priced at 5.09 million won. This price gap is notably wider in South Korea compared to the United States, where the 256GB models of the two smartphones have a price difference of about $100.