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Samsung Electronics today unveiled its latest high-end foldable smartphones, keeping prices at last year’s values in an attempt to keep its dominance in a developing niche sector.
Samsung priced its foldable Galaxy Z Flip4 at $999.99, while the top-tier Galaxy Z Fold4 with 5G support and a 7.6-inch main screen starts at $1,799.99 in the US, which is the same as the launch costs of models from the previous year.
“We’ve successfully transformed this category from a radical project to a mainstream device lineup enjoyed by millions worldwide,” said TM Roh, president and head of the mobile experience at Samsung Electronics.
Starting on August 26, a limited number of countries including the United States, areas of Europe, and South Korea will make the Galaxy Z Flip4 and Z Fold4 as well as its newest earbuds, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro at $229, yes of course.
Global shipments of foldable smartphones are expected to increase to 16 million units this year, according to Counterpoint Research’s prediction. This is an increase from the 9 million foldable smartphones that were sold in 2017.
The general smartphone industry is expected to fall this year as customers spend less, but researchers predict that sales of foldable smartphones will increase because of their unique form factor, big screens, and portability.
In the first half of 2022, Samsung owned a 62% market share for foldable smartphones, followed by Huawei at 16% and Oppo at 3%. After the new launches, Counterpoint predicted Samsung’s share in the second half will be about 80%.
In the second half, Samsung said it wants foldable phone sales to surpass those of its previous flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note.
“Foldables have helped Samsung differentiate itself… Apple will be Samsung’s key competitor in the future and we expect a foldable to be released from Apple in either 2024 or 2025,” said Counterpoint senior analyst Jene Park.
According to Samsung, the latest smartphones make it easier for phone customers to use well-known apps like Meta‘s Instagram and Microsoft Outlook.
