Pablo Escobar Fold 2 copies Samsung Galaxy Fold, but not its price

2019 was a big year for foldable smartphones as the tech industry welcomed the Mate X and Galaxy Fold. Then came Motorola with the new Razr and its nostalgic clamshell form factor. The latter was reportedly so popular that the manufacturer could not keep up with the demand. As such, the pre-order schedule was moved back in order for the supply chain to catch up. Then something unexpected came up when the Pablo Escobar Fold 1 made its debut in December last year. Now, just barely over a month after, the company introduces the Fold 2.

Industry analysts were quick to point out that the original handset was allegedly a rebranded Royole FlexPai. Moreover, it was supposedly intended to take on the iPhone and the company even intends to hit Apple with a class-action lawsuit for $30 billion. The Fold 2, on the other hand, is now apparently built to compete against Samsung. Even the official website labels it as "the real Samsung killer phone" in addition to "Rest in peace Samsung, Pablo always wins."

As with its predecessor, the Pablo Escobar Fold 2 is the brainchild of the notorious drug kingpin's brother -- Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria. The manufacturer claims it that this Galaxy Fold clone was designed in the US and produced in Hong Kong. Gizmodo points out that the foldable smartphone looks exactly like Samsung's device except for the gold colourway, branding, and main camera layout.

The statement from Gaviria reads, "My goal is to become the overstock kingpin of electronical devices this year. All these factories simply have too much technology laying around, nobody is buying anything in China from secondary factories. Additionally, he likewise noted that "we cut the prices and give clients direct discounts under the Escobar brand umbrella."

Industry sources suspect that these might be overstocks of the original Galaxy Gold, which Samsung declines to admit failed to really capture the market due to its premium costs. Meanwhile, the Pablo Escobar Fold 2 will retail for $399 with a 128 GB storage and $550 for the 512 GB version. The foldable smartphone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC and a 4,380-mAh battery with a 7.3-inch flexible display.