SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Apple’s first foldable has finally arrived in South Korea, rekindling iPhone fans’ fading affection and drawing hundreds to stores to get their hands on the real thing — despite a price tag of more than 3 million won.
Outside Apple’s flagship store in Seoul’s Garosugil shopping district on Friday, three people who appeared to be strangers exchanged polite bows before one handed another a box containing the new iPhone Duo.
The brief encounter, apparently a purchase on someone else’s behalf or a resale transaction, offered a glimpse of the demand for Apple’s first foldable smartphone as it went on sale in South Korea after nearly a decade of speculation.
Those collecting their phones inside were among the fortunate buyers who had secured preorders before they sold out in a minute.
Customers lined up early to collect their devices at Apple Garosugil. Similar scenes unfolded at Apple’s Myeongdong store, where more than 100 people gathered ahead of opening.
“Some customers lined up early because they wanted to pick up their phones and unbox them right away,” one shop staff said.
Walk-in purchases were unavailable. Canceled orders went back into the online inventory, the staff explained. Apple’s website showed a Jan. 22 delivery date for orders placed Friday — a three-month wait.
Some foreign visitors also tried their luck.
“There were quite a few foreign customers in the queue this morning, but some left because they couldn’t buy one on the spot,” the staff said.
Foreign-issued payment cards could be used for online purchases, but customers without an eligible local address could not complete the pickup process.
For some shoppers who had switched from iPhones to Samsung’s refined foldables, the Duo offered a reason to consider flipping back.
“One customer brought in Samsung’s latest Fold and compared the two side by side,” the staff said. “They liked the Duo and ended up ordering one.”
That kind of exchange could worry Samsung as Apple challenges its hard-won foothold in foldables.
It reigns for now. This year's series Galaxy Z Fold8, Fold8 Ultra and Flip8 recorded a combined 1.44 million preorders in South Korea over seven days in late July and early August, up 39 percent from the previous generation.
The Fold8 accounted for about 70 percent of those orders.
Demand outstripped initial supplies for some Fold8 models, prompting Samsung to extend its preorder activation period through Aug. 31.
Price remains a dividing line. The iPhone Duo starts at 3.29 million won for the 256GB model and reaches 5.09 million won for the 2TB version. Samsung’s 256GB Galaxy Z Fold8 starts at 2.28 million won — roughly 1 million won cheaper than Apple’s entry model.
Inside the Garosugil store, employees emphasized that the Duo was designed for customers with different priorities from buyers of conventional flagship phones.
One employee pointed to its 7.6-inch foldable inner display and matte, nano-textured finish, which reduces reflections.
“The screen itself has a matte finish. It’s not a film,” the employee said, explaining that the design was intended to make content easier to see from different angles.
The larger display could particularly appeal to designers and video creators who need more room to view their work and use multiple applications, the employee suggested.
Another staff member drew a distinction between the Duo and Apple’s recently released iPhone 18 lineup.
Customers who prioritize photography might prefer a conventional iPhone, the employee said. Those accustomed to working or multitasking on an iPad might find the Duo more useful.
The product has been a long time coming.
Reports of Apple’s interest in foldable displays date back to at least 2016, when patent filings and industry speculation raised the prospect of an iPhone that could bend in half.
Samsung launched its first Galaxy Fold in 2019. Apple waited another seven years to enter the market.
One industry source familiar with Apple’s approach attributed the lengthy development partly to its insistence on refining products before releasing them.
“Apple is almost obsessive about perfection,” the source said, pointing to its attention to detail in both retail stores and product engineering.
That remains an industry interpretation rather than Apple’s official explanation for its development timeline.
Longtime fans, however, appear pleased enough to wait three months — or pay a resale premium on top of an already hefty price tag.
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