Samsung Just Released A Phone That Costs A Fortune And It Is Already Impossible To Buy

So, remember when we all collectively decided that spending a thousand bucks on a smartphone was absolute insanity? Ah, simpler times. Fast forward to today, and Samsung has just dropped a device that makes the iPhone Pro Max look like a budget burner phone you pick up at a gas station.

I’m talking about the Galaxy Z TriFold. It finally landed in South Korea last week—exclusively, might I add—and despite a price tag that could literally buy you a used car, it vanished from shelves faster than free pizza in a college dorm.

But here’s the thing: while selling out instantly sounds like a massive win for Samsung, it’s actually giving them a migraine. Let’s break down why this launch is a totally different beast and why you probably won’t see one of these in your pocket anytime soon.

The Hype Train Has No Brakes

If you were hoping to casually pick up the Z TriFold when it eventually (maybe?) hits the US or Europe, you might want to adjust your expectations. In Samsung’s home turf of South Korea, the thirst for this gadget was real. We’re talking about actual human beings physically lining up outside 20 different stores. In 2025. Who lines up for anything anymore?

On the digital front, it was even crazier. The moment the “Buy” button went live on the regional website, inventory was wiped out. Gone. Kaput. And we aren’t talking about a cheap toy here; these folks were dropping roughly $2,455 USD without blinking.

The first batch is gone, and while there’s a second wave dropping this Wednesday, the odds of snagging one are about as good as winning the lottery while getting struck by lightning.

The Scalper Nightmare

Naturally, whenever something cool and limited exists, the scalpers arrive to ruin the party. Because demand is absolutely crushing the supply, people are already flipping these devices for a profit.

It’s the classic console launch problem but for a phone that folds three times. The fact that the grey market is exploding for this thing proves one thing: people are bored with regular phones. They want the weird, futuristic stuff, and they are willing to pay a premium to be the first one at the dinner table unfolding a tablet out of their pocket.

Why Not Just Build More Phones?

This is where it gets interesting. Usually, if a company sells out of a product, they pop champagne and tell the factory to run double shifts. But Samsung is in a bit of a bind here.

Rumor has it that they only planned to make about 2,000 to 3,000 units for the Korean launch. Globally? Maybe 20,000 units. Total.

To put that in perspective, Samsung usually ships millions of Galaxy S phones. 20,000 is basically a “limited edition” drop for friends and family. The reason they can’t just crank up the volume is that this phone is an engineering nightmare. It’s not just a slab of glass; it’s a complex origami of screens, hinges, and terror. Mass producing this at the scale of a normal phone just isn’t happening right now.

The Price Tag That Makes No Sense

Okay, sit down for this one. You know how I said the phone costs around $2,455? That sounds expensive, right?

Well, apparently, that price is actually too low.

I know, I know. “How is $2.5k too low?” But think about what’s inside this thing. You’ve got a massive 10-inch display that has to fold twice, a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor (which isn’t cheap), 16GB of RAM, and mechanics that need to survive actual human usage.

Word on the street is that Samsung priced this thing aggressively—which is a hilarious word to use for a $2,500 object—meaning their profit margins are razor-thin. They might even be barely breaking even. They cut every corner they could on the pricing just to get it out the door.

This implies the Z TriFold isn’t really a “product” meant to make money. It’s a flex. It’s Samsung standing on a mountain yelling, “Look what we can do!” before retreating back to the lab.

Is It Even Worth It?

This brings us to the big question. If Samsung is losing sleep (and potentially money) making these things, and they can only produce a handful of them, is it worth the hassle?

Honestly? Maybe not.

Sure, it’s cool. I love weird tech. But let’s be real—the “wow” factor of foldables has cooled off a bit. If this phone had dropped two years ago, the internet would have melted. Now, it feels like a cool prototype that escaped the R&D department.

Plus, there’s the Apple elephant in the room. Everyone knows the iPhone Fold (or whatever they call it) is coming eventually. When that happens, the market is going to shift hard.

Instead of burning cash on a triple-folding phone that only 20,000 people can buy, maybe Samsung should focus on making the Galaxy Z Fold 8 absolutely bulletproof. We need a foldable that feels as durable as a brick and doesn’t require a loan to purchase.

The Bottom Line

If you’re sitting there with your credit card ready, waiting for the US release of the TriFold, you might want to find a new hobby. Between the insane production difficulty and the fact that Samsung seems to be treating this as a limited-run experiment, getting your hands on one is going to be a mission.

For now, we can just watch the unboxing videos from the lucky few in Korea and wonder what it feels like to hold a $2,500 piece of glass that folds like a brochure.

Peace out, and guard your wallets.

• Tags:
• Scalpers
• South Korea
• Luxury Tech