Samsung is reportedly scrapping sales of its experimental Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone just three months after launch.
According to a report from South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, Samsung will stop selling the triple-folding handset in its home market on March 17.
The company has not publicly confirmed the move, but the device is expected to remain available in other markets only until existing inventory runs out.
The Galaxy Z TriFold, unveiled at this year’s CES, was never designed as a mass-market product.
Samsung released the device in extremely limited batches through its online store, with each restock selling out within minutes despite its steep price tag of US$2,899 (A$4,400). It was never officially sold in Australia.
It is estimated that Samsung shipped only around 3,000 units in each of the first two production batches. The company notably avoided a traditional media review program for the device.
The smartphone introduced a new triple-fold display design that allows the handset to expand into a much larger tablet-style screen. But the complexity of that design appears to have made the device difficult to produce profitably.
Sources cited by Dong-A Ilbo say rising component prices, particularly DRAM and NAND flash memory, have significantly increased production costs, leaving little to no profit margin even at the phone’s ultra-premium pricing.
Despite the limited production run, demand for the futuristic device remained strong. Each restock reportedly sold out within minutes. Some units in South Korea briefly appeared on resale markets at up to three times the original retail price.
The TriFold appears to have primarily been intended as a tech showcase rather than a major commercial product.
Samsung is expected to continue expanding its foldable lineup later this year with the next generation Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models, while the long-term future of Samsung’s triple-fold design remains uncertain.