Korean smart devices major Samsung expects its new foldable smartphones Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 to consolidate its leadership in the market.
The company will launch its premium foldable 5G devices in India next month, in the subsequent week of the global launch scheduled for August 11, according to a company official. “Every day, more people choose our foldables because they offer an experience people want that they can’t get on any other device. Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 are the latest devices that prove our commitment to meeting the needs of our customers through innovative technology,” TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics said here.
According to a market research firm, Samsung led the Indian smartphone market with a 20 per cent share in the January-March 2023 quarter and also remained the leading brand for 5G shipments, accounting for a 24 per cent share. “In a few more years, foldables’ market is set to surpass 100 million devices. Already, more than half of our users say they are considering foldable for their next upgrade,” Roh said. Samsung, Product and Technology Planning, Director, Nils Dahl said that Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 will be available in select countries from August 11 at starting price of USD 1,799 and USD 999 apiece.
A Samsung official said that the device will be launched in India in the subsequent week. According to market research and analysis firm Techarc estimates, foldable (including flip) smartphones will contribute over 1.8 per cent of the total smartphone revenues for 2023. The estimate implies over 6.35 lakh foldable smartphones will be sold in India during the year which will be less than 0.5 per cent of the total sales by volume estimated for the period. “This is the fifth generation of foldable devices that we have announced. Over the last five years we have unfolded newer experiences for consumers in India. We are very excited and we will definitely consolidate our leadership with this,” Samsung India’s Senior Director of Mobile Business Aditya Babbar said.
Both devices come embedded with Snapdragon 8 Gen chipset, IPX8 certification which means devices can resist water if submerged under 1.5 metre depth for up to 30 minutes and flix hinge with dual rail mechanics inside it to diffuse external impacts and enable devices to fold completely without gap among the panels. The Fold 5 will be 2.4 millimetres slimmer compared to Fold 4 and 10 grams lighter. Similarly, the company officials during the presentation said that Samsung’s S pen is also 41 per cent slimmer compared to previous generation devices.
CyberMedia Research (CMR) Industry Intelligence Group, Head, Prabhu Ram said that the latest, fifth-generation Fold and Flip are more refined and durable, and will potentially appeal to a much wider cohort of consumer personas. “As per our research at CMR, foldable shipments in India will potentially grow over 65 per cent year-on-year. While more foldable market entrants have entered the fray with new innovations, Samsung has an edge with its brand salience and market stewardship,” Ram said. Samsung’s Flip 5 comes with 10-megapixel (MP) selfie camera, dual 12 mp dual rear camera, 8GB Ram and up to 512 GB internal storage.
Samsung’s Fold 5 comes with a set of five cameras comprising 10-MP selfie camera, 4 MP under display camera and triple rear camera which include 12 MP ultra wide camera, 50 MP wide angle camera and 10 MP telephoto camera. The external storage capacity in Fold 5 ranges between 256 GB to 1 TB across variants. The competition in the foldable phone space has intensified with several brands coming up with their devices in the segment in the premium price range of USD 600 and above. According to Counterpoint Research, the premium segment was the only segment that grew during the second quarter of 2023 globally and more than one out of five smartphones sold during the quarter belonged to the premium segment.
Samsung at its Unpacked event unveiled three models of Galaxy tab S9 in the price range of USD 799 to USD 1199 apiece embedded with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with an in-box S-Pen. While the pre-order of the Samsung tablets started immediately, the company is yet to announce dates for India. The company unveiled two models of Galaxy Watch 6 that besides sleep monitoring, personalised heart rate zone, ECG features, will provide prediction on menstrual cycle, control camera of Flip 5 etc. Samsung VP and Head of Digital Health, Hon Pak, MD said that the company in Galaxy Watch 6 series has focussed on sleep which is a window for health and well being.
“The watch not only tracks but personalises and enhance sleep,” Pak said. It will send alert on detecting irregular heart rhythm, he said. Both Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic will be available in select countries from August 11 for USD 299 and USD 399 apiece.
