Samsung Electronics on Wednesday announced release of the newest foldable cellphones. Samsung aims to challenge Apple’s hegemony in the high-end market.
The leading smartphone manufacturer in the world created the market in 2019, anticipating that it would appeal to users seeking a larger screen to view content while maintaining a small total phone size.
The company set the launch prices for the new clamshell Galaxy Z Flip5 at $999.99 and the large Galaxy Z Fold5 at $1,799.99 on Wednesday in the United States, respectively.
By enhancing the hinge, it was able to make the foldable Flip5 thinner than the model from the previous year. It also increased the cover screen’s size to 3.4 inches (8.64 cm), which added more capacity for interactions and enhanced the ability to capture a selfie with the top-tier main camera.
The 7.6-inch Samsung Fold5 has a wider vapour chamber for better heat management when gaming or multitasking and a 41% slimmer pen than the device from last year. Both devices include Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets from Qualcomm.
Analysts believe that the early introduction of the newest models is an attempt to maintain the spotlight prior to the debut of the next iPhone for a longer period of time.
According to Counterpoint, global shipments of foldable smartphones are anticipated to reach 19 million units in 2023, an increase of roughly 45% from 13.1 million in 2022.
According to research firm Counterpoint, foldable phones are still a limited product category that only accounts for 5% of the worldwide premium smartphone market, despite having expanded significantly from 0.3% in 2019. In 2022, Apple held a 75% share compared to Samsung’s 16% of the market for premium smartphones costing $600 or more.
From August 11 onward, a few markets will have Samsung’s foldable phones.
