High-End TriFold Phone Discontinued After Short-Run
For those who have not yet spent a whopping $3,000 on a popular TriFold phone, it appears the opportunity may have passed. The company behind the phone has decided to cease selling it after a short two-month span on the market.
The process of discontinuing this high-end phone will begin in the company's home nation, South Korea. Once all the existing stock has been sold, the sale will also stop in the US. Currently, the only way to purchase this phone in the US is through the company's website or at one of their seven special experience stores nationwide.
No More Phones on Company Website
A recent look at the company's website showed zero availability of the TriFold phones, although some individuals have claimed they were able to purchase the phone at experience stores in locations like Frisco, Texas, and Queens, New York over the past few days. Some customers have even shared on online forums that they were able to secure one of these sought-after devices.
The TriFold phone was first announced and debuted in South Korea, followed by a US release. The phone features a 6.5-inch cover screen and two hinges that allow it to open up into a 10-inch main screen. The selling price has been set at $2,899.
A Showcase, Not a Regular Product
Interestingly, it appears that the TriFold phone was never meant to be a long-term addition to the company's product range. Instead, it was designed as a "flagship showcase" to display the company's capability to develop a trifold phone. Reports suggest that only 6,000 units were sold - 3,000 on the day of its official release and the rest five days later.
The decision to discontinue the phone might also be influenced by the escalating cost of components such as DRAM, NAND flash, and application processors, which have decreased the profit margin for the TriFold phone. DRAM is the primary working memory of a phone, NAND flash is a storage technology, and application processors help operate systems like Android, iOS, and Linux. Recent market research shows a surge in the prices of DRAM and NAND flash, largely because of "demand for AI-related computing workloads."
An industry expert, who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that the phone was more of "a symbolic product created to showcase its technological prowess rather than to generate profit from sales."
Impressive but Not for All
When this innovative phone was launched earlier this year in the US, it was well-received and even sold out within minutes on its first day. A renowned tech writer who had the opportunity to use the foldable for two weeks described it as "versatile, innovative, and practical," but pointed out that it's a niche device that's "not for everyone."
As for the future of the phone, the chief operating officer of the company's Mobile Experience Business mentioned in a recent interview that the company has not made a final decision on whether to reintroduce the device or an updated version to a broader market.