The semiconductor shortage spares no one, the entire industry is heavily impacted by the shortage of chips, and some manufacturers such as Samsung can no longer meet consumer demand.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 have been a huge success after their release, demand has peaked this year and Samsung has managed to break its sales records for its foldable smartphones. The devices both got a new design, and they are notably the first folding phones to be IPX8 certified for water resistance. There is also a camera under the screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, as well as a more resistant screen that allows it to be compatible with the S Pen. Samsung has also revealed how its smartphones were tested.
The key to success was probably the significant drop in prices for both models compared to previous years. Indeed, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 were respectively marketed at 1799 euros and 1059 euros, a very significant drop compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 2, launched at 2,020 euros and 1,499 euros.
The production of folding smartphones crippled by the shortage
Unfortunately for Samsung, the pace of production cannot keep up with the high demand for its smartphones, mainly because of the global shortage of semiconductors. However, this year, Samsung has not launched any new Galaxy Note 22, and its future Galaxy S21 FE should not arrive until next January.
Samsung has therefore already taken measures to prioritize its stock of chips on its folding smartphones, but this is not enough. In just 39 days, Samsung had already managed to sell 1 million foldable smartphones in South Korea. Today, some customers face very long delivery times, which can sometimes exceed a month.
According to Korean media The Korea Bizwire, Samsung would be very unhappy not to have been able to foresee the unprecedented success of its folding smartphones, since it is now unable to fulfill customer orders in certain regions.
Source: SamMobile