Samsung has introduced two new foldable smartphones featuring flexible, screen-folding glass, including its most expensive handset yet.
At its Unpacked event on Wednesday, the Korean tech giant unveiled numerous new items, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 features a redesigned taskbar down the bottom of the device, providing users with a more “PC-like experience” in which they can easily access their apps.
It has as much as 1TB of storage space but costs a staggering £2,019.
Samsung has also released the Galaxy Z Flip 4, a phone with a horizontal hinge in the center of the screen that allows it to flip open like a phone from the 1990s.
Samsung claims that this year’s Flip model has reduced bezels and a thinner hinge for a more ergonomic design and improved grip.
Galaxy Z Flip 4 storage capacities range from £999 for 125GB to £1,199 for 512GB.
Both smartphone models are 5G compatible, equipped with IPX8 water resistance, and foldable more than 200,000 times.
They are available for pre-order today (August 10) and will be available for purchase on August 26.
Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, stated that the new Fold and Flip models only feature “incremental upgrades” compared to their predecessors.
Maintaining a premium for what some customers perceive as incremental changes is always difficult to sell, he told.
This is in sharp contrast to Apple, where everyone anxiously awaits the annual release of a new iPhone.
‘It appears that the emphasis has been on software, as the gadgets virtually appear identical.’
Similar to its predecessors, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 features a vertical hinge in the center and functions as a 2-in-1 device.
It contains two screens: a smaller exterior panel that displays basic information when folded, and a bigger tablet-like inner screen.
Samsung has added a taskbar to the bottom of the larger screen to better display a user’s apps, similar to Windows on a personal computer.
Users may drag the apps to open them on a split-screen, allowing Facebook junkies, for instance, to display Messenger and the Facebook app side by side and monitor both at once.
The Fold 4’s inside screen is 7.6 inches diagonally, the same as the Fold 3’s screen, which was released the previous year.
Prices vary according to storage capacity, ranging from £1,649 for 256GB to £2,019 for 1 terabyte.
Fold 4 also boasts narrower bezels, allowing for a larger display while maintaining the same dimensions as Fold 3 from the previous year.
Samsung claims the Fold 4 has a longer battery life and can play videos for longer on a single charge. It is also compatible with the sold-separately S-pen stylus.
Flip 4, on the other hand, is smaller and opens thanks to a horizontal hinge rather than a vertical one in the middle of the screen.
Users can bend the gadget to a 90-degree angle to take films and images and engage in hands-free video chats.
Additionally, the new Flip allows users to respond to a message with emojis from the cover screen, without having to open the phone.
It also has a sensor that is 65% brighter for better photographs, the ability to snap selfies while closed, and a larger battery.
The Flip 4’s primary screen measures 6.7 inches, while the exterior cover screen measures 1.9 inches, similar to the Flip 3.
Depending on storage capacity, costs range from £999 for 125GB to $1,199 for 512GB.
Flip 4 is available in Graphite, Bora Purple, Pink Gold, and Blue, while Fold 4 is available in Phantom Black, Grey Green, and Beige.
The Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are Samsung’s most robust smartwatches to date.
Both have longer battery life and are constructed from tougher and more durable materials.
They include scratch-resistant glass and are 60% stronger and more durable than Watch 4 models.
In addition, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro with enhanced sound and call quality and active noise cancellation has been unveiled.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series pricing begins at £269, while Galaxy Buds 2 Pro pricing begins at £219.
To be more environmentally sensitive, 90% of Galaxy smartphones now contain at least one component manufactured from recycled materials, according to Samsung.
PP Foresight’s Pescatore told that Samsung will continue to struggle to get its wearable devices into consumers’ hands until they are bundled for free.
He added that he does not anticipate foldable devices to be a top priority for smartphone enthusiasts.
He told, “Unfortunately, foldable rollable devices do not solve an issue.” This explains the absence of consumer appetite by itself.
More effort and money are required to increase the visibility and potential benefits of this innovative category.
Initial ventures toward foldable devices have sparked the industry and generated a great deal of enthusiasm for this new category. It is still early, and they will change substantially.
The Galaxy Fold, Samsung’s first folding device, took years to develop from its conception and patent stages.
It was released in September 2019 after technical issues delayed its global release, including reports of displays breaking after only a few days of use.
The first generation Galaxy Z Flip was released in February 2020 but was replaced by a 5G-compatible model six months later.
