A Samsung Olympic Edition Z Flip 6 listed on French second-hand site Le Bon Coin. (a screenshot image of Le Bon Coin)
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – In an unexpected turn of events, the exclusive Galaxy Z Flip 6 Olympic Edition smartphones, provided by Samsung to all athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics, have begun appearing for sale on various online marketplaces.
On August 6, a search on eBay, the global e-commerce platform, revealed more than 10 listings for the coveted device. Similarly, France’s popular secondhand marketplace, Le Bon Coin, features several of these special-edition phones for sale.
The asking prices for these devices significantly exceed the retail value of their non-Olympic counterparts. On eBay, the Olympic Edition phones are listed between $1,275 and $2,500, while on Le Bon Coin, they range from 1,500 to 2,000 euros. For comparison, the standard Galaxy Z Flip 6 with 512GB of storage retails for $1,219.99 in the United States.
Sellers are emphasizing the pristine condition of these devices, with descriptions such as “brand new, never opened” and “still in box” accompanying the listings.
Samsung, an official partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), distributed approximately 17,000 of these special edition phones to Olympic athletes. The devices, based on the 512GB model, feature a distinctive yellow color scheme adorned with gold Olympic and Paralympic emblems alongside the Samsung logo.
The phones come preloaded with unique features for the Games. Orange, the official mobile partner of the Paris Olympics, provided a 100GB eSIM. The Samsung Wallet app includes an “in-app pass” for free access to Coca-Cola vending machines in the Olympic Village and an unlimited-use transit card for public transportation around Paris.
According to the French daily Le Parisien, Samsung has notified the IOC about the resales but agreed to leave the decision to the athletes, acknowledging that the phones were given as gifts. An insider told Le Parisien, “For athletes from financially struggling countries, this phone could serve as a small source of income.”
Despite some phones ending up on the resale market, Samsung’s marketing strategy appears to have paid off. For the first time in Olympic history, athletes were allowed to bring personal items, including phones, to the medal podium. This resulted in numerous “podium selfies” taken with the Samsung devices, generating significant media exposure.
A particularly noteworthy moment occurred on July 30 during the table tennis mixed doubles medal ceremony. Athletes from South Korea, North Korea, and China used a Galaxy smartphone to take a group photo on the podium, an image that garnered widespread attention across traditional and social media platforms.
Le Parisien described this as “a marketing maneuver far more effective than any advertisement.” The visibility of these moments has arguably fulfilled Samsung’s promotional objectives, regardless of the subsequent resale of some devices.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
