Nearly 17,000 athletes and staff members of the Olympic family for the Olympic and Paralympic Games have received a special gift from Samsung: a Paris 2024 Olympic Edition of the brand-new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
The tech giant, an official partner of the event, announced that they would be handing out these gifts at the Galaxy Unpacked event in July.
While the gesture was intended as a memorable keepsake, many recipients have chosen to capitalize on the gift instead.
According to reports from Le Parisien, these exclusive phones have already surfaced on resale platforms like eBay and Leboncoin, where they are fetching impressive sums.
The starting bids for these collector’s items begin at around 1,160 euros (around $1,270), with some listings reaching nearly 3,000 euros ($3,280) — more than double the price of the standard Galaxy Z Flip 6, which retails for 1,199 euros ($1,311).
The Olympic edition phones come with unique features, including an Orange eSIM card, a virtual public transport card, and credit for unlimited drinks during the Games.
For some athletes, the practical value of these perks seems to have been outweighed by the potential profit from reselling the device.
The resale of these phones has raised some eyebrows, but Samsung appears unbothered by the situation.
The company, after spotting the ads, informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and event organizers.
But, as an internal source from Samsung mentioned, the brand considers the phones a gift, allowing athletes to do as they please with them.
“It can represent a small source of income for an athlete from a country without great means,” the source told Le Parisien.
