In the Russian market, the first month sales trajectory for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 showed a noticeable uptick, rising about two and a half times compared with the prior year’s Flip 4 and Fold 4 in retail networks. In recent figures, approximately three-fifths of purchases were driven by the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and two-fifths by the Z Fold 5, with the 512GB configurations being the most sought after, according to a spokesperson from a major domestic retail chain.
Industry observers noted growing interest as well, with pre-orders for the new Galaxy foldables in 2023 up roughly ten percent against the previous generation. In the latest retail data, Flip 5 models accounted for a little more than half of orders across several networks, while Fold 5 captured just under half, though the fourth-generation devices historically held a similar split at about 60/40.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 on July 26, with sales starting in the local network on July 29, nearly two weeks ahead of the official global release. Other Russian retailers began accepting pre-orders as early as July 26.
Analysts from Mobile Research Group offered a cautious interpretation, suggesting that the overall uptake of the new foldables in Russia did not necessarily rise in absolute terms. The observed spike in retailer demand was attributed to a reduction in Samsung storefronts within the country, which redirected shopper traffic to open stores and other retailers. As a result, some buyers shifted to networks like MTS rather than waiting for pre-order deliveries from other chains.
With the ruble strengthening, Mobile Research Group projected that total year-end sales for the new Samsung foldables in Russia would hover around a stable level, potentially around 140,000 units, assuming no material adverse shifts. A less favorable scenario could involve a decline of up to about one fifth from the prior year’s totals.
In comparison to older lines, iPhone devices in the lower budget tier continued to offer competitive pricing in Russia, with entry points generally lower than 35,000 rubles, underscoring ongoing competition in the mid-to-entry level segment. (Sources: MTS retail network, M.Video-Eldorado, Mobile Research Group)