Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 'sells out' in U.S. due to extremely limited stock

Samsung's new Galaxy Z Flip is allegedly sold out in the U.S. At midnight, the phone went on sale at Samsung and Best Buy and all units were immediately snapped up.

Well, sorta. One Samsung Experience Store in Palo Alto reportedly had fewer than 10 units to sell. Our own checks with Best Buys in the tri-state area turned up zero stock online and in-store today. Either these stores received very few Z Flips to sell or they received zero at all. While the Z Flip shortage doesn't appear to be as scarce as it was for the Motorola Razr, which was impossible to find (flagship Verizon stores were the only one stocking them and they were allocated, like, one unit), the phone will likely be hard to find today.

Max Weinbach, a leaker who claims to have sources at retail channels, said the order pages for the Z Flip went up a few minutes earlier than midnight; naturally, they sold out quickly. He also claims all Z Flips are out of stock in the U.S.

How much stock was there to begin with? That's something only Samsung knows, but it's probably safe to say there wasn't much to begin with.

Limited production? — An early report suggested Samsung only made 900 Z Flip foldables for its South Korean launch — a staggeringly low number for such a major device. It's possible Samsung didn't have a whole lot of stock ready for the U.S. either. One Twitter user says he was told by a Samsung representative at Best Buy that stores with devices only received two phones per location, and were sold out almost immediately.

One reason why there are so few Z Flips to go around: the coronavirus. The epidemic has set back major Chinese factories like Foxconn, which are contracted to manufacture devices like iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones.

A flipper's market — With so much hype surrounding the Z Flip, anyone who's lucky to have one who isn't looking to keep it will likely flip it on eBay or Craigslist in the hopes of turning a quick profit. We managed to order a Z Flip at Best Buy, but have yet to receive an in-store pickup time. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, or next week or next month — we just don't know.

Weinbach managed to order two. One for in-store pickup today and one shipping for delivery on Monday.

For now, maybe your best chance to get up close and personal with the phone is through our visual story showcasing it from every angle.