Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Samsung slashes prices in bid to boost foldable phone sales

Samsung slashes prices in bid to boost foldable phone sales

The larger Galaxy Fold3 boasts a 7.6-inch display when unfolded and will sell for $1,800, a 10% drop from last year’s model.

Samsung is hoping cheaper but more durable versions of its foldable phones will broaden the appeal of a high-concept design that’s so far fizzled with consumers.

The electronics giant on Wednesday launched its effort to turn things around with two new products designed to function as both a phone and, when unfolded outward on a hinge, a tablet.

The larger Galaxy Fold3 boasts a 7.6-inch display when unfolded and will sell for $1,800, a 10% drop from last year’s model. The other device, the Galaxy Flip3, looks more like a flip phone, but can still be opened from its clamshell position into a 6.7-inch display. It will sell for $1,000, more than 25% below the price for last year’s original model.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 is on display on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 at Samsung KX in London.


Besides the new phones, Samsung also unveiled its first smartwatches powered by software designed in tandem with Google as both companies try to catch up with Apple in that part of the wearable tech market.

Since releasing its first foldable phones in 2019, Samsung has been hyping the technology as a breakthrough that will spur more consumers to splurge on new phones instead of holding on to older devices until they wear out or upgrading to new models that have most of the same features.

But foldable phones have barely made a ripple in the smartphone market, with roughly 2 million of the devices shipped last year, according to the research firm International Data Corp. That’s a tiny fraction of the nearly 1.3 billion smartphones shipped worldwide last year, IDC said.

From left, Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 and Fold 3 are displayed on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 at Samsung KX in London. 


"What has really been holding back the mass consumption of these foldable devices is the high price," IDC analyst Nabila Popal said. "Most people really don’t see the need for it. At least nothing that justifies forking out an additional thousand dollars."

Popal believes Samsung’s lower prices for its latest foldable phones are still too far above what most consumers are willing to pay for phones. That’s one reason IDC projects only a modest uptick in foldable phone shipments this year, to an estimated 6 million to 7 million devices.

Besides high prices, sales have been held back by doubts about whether the foldable devices can withstand the wear and tear that traditional smartphones typically endure. Those worries have shadowed Samsung’s foldable line-up since it delayed the release of first models in 2019 to fix problems with bulging screens and flickering displays.

A person demonstrates the Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 at Samsung KX in London.


Samsung has equipped its newest foldable phones with more durable glass and water resistance to reduce the chances of the devices being damaged. It has made the foldable phones compatible with its popular S Pen stylus for the first time to woo customers accustomed to using the digital writing tool on Samsung’s traditional Note and Galaxy phones.

In another sign of foldable phones’ progress, nearly 50 of the top 100 mobile apps, are now available for its unique format, said Drew Blackard, the South Korean company’s vice president of product management.

Those improvements have emboldened Samsung to make the foldable phones its marquee products during the second half of the year, backed by a marketing campaign that will hail their advantages.

A person demonstrates the ability of the Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 to display two apps at once, on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 at Samsung KX in London. (


Blackard likened the third generation of Samsung’s foldable phones to the third generation of the company’s Note phones that came out in 2013 and changed the perceptions of a product line-up that was initially mocked for introducing smartphones with five-inch screens. Within the next year, Apple released the first model of its trendsetting iPhones with bigger screens that have now become a standard feature.

But Apple still hasn’t felt compelled to make an iPhone with a foldable screen yet.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Reports in Gaza: 5 dead from the impact of aid packages dropped by the USA
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
The U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, instead proposing its own six-week ceasefire plan contingent upon the release of all hostages held by Hamas
Prince William Urges End to Gaza Conflict
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel has gone ‘beyond self-defence’ in Gaza, says Labour’s Streeting
EU Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza Conflict
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
Saudi Arabia Introduces Terms for 30-Year Income Tax Exemption for Multinational Companies
Saudi FM: Establishing Palestinian state is only pathway for Mideast stability
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Elon Musk's Starlink Gets License For Israel, Parts Of Gaza
Influencers Exploit X Platform for Profit Amidst Israel-Gaza Conflict
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
International Criminal Court's Chief "Deeply Concerned" By Rafah Bombing
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Indian female military officers commend Saudi Arabia's progress and women's empowerment
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Israel Utilizes AI Military Technology in Gaza Conflict
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
China Warns Iran to Halt Houthi Attacks or Damage Trade Ties
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Iran-backed hackers interrupt UAE TV streaming services with deepfake news
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken: The Israelis underwent dehumanization on 7.10, this does not give them the right to do this to others.
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
UK Bans Misleading "Zero Emissions" Claims for Electric Cars
Gaza's Teen Inventor Sparks Light in Displacement
Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire Proposal, Insists On Total Victory Over Hamas
Guterres appoints independent UNRWA review panel
Private Sector Employment Hits Record High with Over 11 Million Employees in January
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
ZATCA Cautions Against Scammer Schemes
INTRA Defense Technologies inaugurates drone factory in Riyadh
×