Samsung Galaxy Fold is just for rich people, and Samsung knows it

When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Fold at its Unpacked event, people in the audience and at home gawked in unison at the device’s $1,980 price tag. The South Korean company appears to be well aware of the public’s stance on the cost as it’s now positioning the foldable as a luxury product.

Talking with The Verge, Kate Beaumont, director of product, services, and commercial strategy at Samsung UK, acknowledged the premium nature of the phone-tablet hybrid:

This is a super premium device, and we want to make sure it has a concierge-like service and experience, so it’s not going to be on display in all stores. You’re not going to see it on the stands, we want to make sure it’s a very personal experience. There will be quite intensive aftercare that goes with it as well.

The concierge portion of Beaumont’s statement isn’t exactly clear about what type of service Samsung will support. The chances are that the company won’t be offering true 24/7 concierge support like Vertu provided its customers. Instead, the South Korean company will probably be more concerned with making sure Galaxy Fold customers are happy with the device itself.

As it will be a premium purchase, Samsung isn’t expecting to sell tens of millions of Galaxy Folds. Instead, the company will focus on controlling how the foldable goes to market.

If all goes well, Samsung might be able to market a second-gen Galaxy Fold to a broader audience. As a first-generation product, the company wants to be able to carefully monitor how well the device works in the real world.

Beaumont also stated that Samsung will host another press event at the beginning of April. As we know that the Galaxy Fold will available for purchase on April 26, this event will likely detail where the device will be sold and lay out the company’s plans for the “concierge-like” support.