Samsung launches range of foldable phones ahead of Apple upcoming products

Samsung has introduced the fifth generation of its foldable smartphones seeking to counter a sluggish market for devices

Wed, 26 Jul, 2023 - 15:41

Mark Gurman

Samsung introduced the fifth generation of its foldable smartphones, seeking to counter a sluggish market for devices and upcoming rival products from Apple.

The new Galaxy Z Flip 5, a 6.7-inch smartphone that folds down into a square shape, now has an external display covering the majority of one side, making it more useful when closed.

It is also marginally thinner with a new hinge, but makes few other hardware advances. The Galaxy Z Fold 5, the flagship unit in the range, also benefits from the improved hinge that has helped make it thinner and lighter.

The two devices retain their pricing, at $999 (€903) for the Flip and $1,799 (€1,626) in the US for the book-like Fold, and go on sale on August 11, the company said in a statement.

Their debut marked Samsung’s first unpacked product event at home in South Korea, and was accompanied by a plethora of other devices: Two new Galaxy Watch 6 models as well as three new Galaxy Tab S9 tablets.

The world’s biggest smartphone maker has set itself the goal of building an Apple-like ecosystem of complementary devices. HMC Investment & Securities' head of technology research Greg Roh said:

Samsung’s foldable smartphones and wearable devices are the only bright spot in terms of profitability as demand for low-to-mid end smartphones is pretty bad.

Both new foldables are built around Qualcomm's 4-nanometer Snapdragon processors, with some added enhancements exclusively for Samsung’s Galaxy line. Qualcomm has the lion’s share of flagship Android devices, and its chips have pushed Samsung’s in-house Exynos processors out of its own devices. The Suwon-based company’s latest handsets come ahead of Apple’s next product launch, which will include a major iPhone 15 upgrade in September as well as new Apple Watches.