Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 might be flopping in the US, but its Special Edition is winning in Korea

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 on cobblestone road
(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Samsung's best foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 'Special Edition,' is only available in select markets, notably the company's home Korea.
  • Three rounds of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition units were scooped up by buyers in just minutes on each occasion.
  • While this could indicate a successful launch for the company's premium folding phone, we don't know how many units were available.

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 launched worldwide this summer under the expectation that it would be surpassed by another Samsung foldable shortly after. Rumors and leaks previewed the Galaxy Z Fold 6 'Special Edition' for months, and it finally debuted in Korea in October. This folding phone is better than the standard Galaxy Z Fold 6 in every way — it's thinner, lighter, and faster, sporting bigger screens and better cameras.

According to a new report from Newsis, those improvements have helped the Special Edition get off to a hot start in terms of sales (via Android Authority). The Korean media outlet Newsis says that there have been three rounds of Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition units made available, and all of them have sold out completely in just minutes. The launch-day availability sold out in 10 minutes, and the following round ran out in five. The third and most recent round of units were depleted in only six minutes.

Of course, a key missing detail is the number of Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition units that were available for each round of orders. That figure isn't publicly available, though Newsis reports that the third sellout also featured the most available units to date. All these signs point to the Special Edition variant being a resounding success, despite Samsung's choice to only sell it in Korea.

Android Central has reached out to Samsung about the Newsis report, its accuracy, and how many Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition units were available for purchase, and it did not get back to us in time for publication. We will update this article once we have more information.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition camera specs (translated)

(Image credit: Samsung)

It's not difficult to see why the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition is more in demand than its cheaper, standard counterpart. Nearly all the complaints reviewers and fans had with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, from the thick form factor to the meager camera hardware, have been addressed with the Special Edition variant. For starters, there's a 200MP wide-angle main camera that dwarfs the performance of the 50MP sensor on the regular Galaxy Z Fold 6.

When the company first launched the Special Edition, one executive said that it was doing so in Korea "with gratitude to domestic consumers who lead the foldable market." If recent reports are any indication, those customers are coming out in droves to buy and support the new foldable.

Brady Snyder
Contributor

Brady is a tech journalist covering news at Android Central. He has spent the last two years reporting and commenting on all things related to consumer technology for various publications. Brady graduated from St. John's University in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. When he isn't experimenting with the latest tech, you can find Brady running or watching sports.