Samsung Electronics has ended sales of the Galaxy Z TriFold, its high-end foldable smartphone, in South Korea despite strong demand, due to high production costs, industry sources said Tuesday. The South Korean tech giant's first trifold smartphone, which features two folding hinges and a 10-inch display when fully unfolded, was released in December, with the model selling out on the first day of its launch. The device came with a local price tag of 3.59 million won ($2,400), and it was restocked more than 10 times in the South Korean market, although shipment volume was limited. Industry watchers said Samsung Electronics suspended sales of the trifold smartphone due to high production costs, with the recent hike in global memory chip prices further adding to the burden. Others said the Galaxy Z TriFold was launched to showcase Samsung Electronics' technological competitiveness rather than for mass production. Sales will continue in countries with remaining inventories, including the United States and China.