There are a lot of things to say about the Thom Browne Edition of the Galaxy Z Fold 2. But just look at this thing unboxed and tell us whether you believe Samsung cares. And Samsung definitely cares a great deal, generally speaking; pretty much every single product it launches is greenlit because its market data suggests there's room for it to succeed. Besides the occasional limited edition of a high-end gadget created in collaboration with an equally premium clothing designer.
Because the Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition is a fashion statement, first and foremost. It's unapologetic in every sense and isn't really trying to draw attention to its genuine technological excellence. Something so difficult to capture and turn into a mass product that it's a legitimate argument when trying to justify its eye-watering price tag.
That's the thing, though; who's trying to justify anything? Certainly not Samsung. Yet the narrative around this unique offering writes itself. Which underlines how great of a marketing tool it is – that alone is the key to Samsung's foldable smartphone ambitions. Which were always enormous, but just over a year in, things are looking remarkably good, and they seemed like anything but in 2019.
Official look at Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition: what's in the box?
In a span of some 18 months, Samsung's foldables went from a meme-worthy example of faultiness to a concept so polished that it even lends itself to something as iterative as fashion design. And you can't argue taste, but that's beside the point. What isn't, is that this luxurious package is a legitimate collection of lifestyle choices.
From the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Watch 3, to the Galaxy Buds Live, some matching watchbands, and all the way back to the elegant protective case depicted herein, Samsung and Thom Browne have definitely, once again, delivered a lot of personality under the guise of something as ubiquitous as consumer electronics.
Quite a feat for a product that, realistically speaking, primarily exists because mass-producing a foldable flagship is currently so expensive that you really need to be on top of your artificial scarcity game in order to market such a device as an even slightly feasible purchase.
It was greenlit because Samsung knows I can't take a look at my inbox, see a mail from China telling me a phone that costs more than my car was sold out in four minutes, and say “nah, not falling for that.” I can write all the disclaimers I want but that fact, alone, is newsworthy, even far beyond the domain of smartphone-focused media industry.
And newsworthy stories are the best way to market luxury, given how your primary goal isn't to maximize near-term sales, but create a unique aura, something iconic that, given enough consistency, will eventually sell itself. Even though they're just that – stories. With that said, this ongoing collaboration between Samsung and Thom Browne is one beautiful story, indeed, so let's just go with the flow on this one and let these professionally lit images from Samsung's home country do the rest of the talking.
