Larger External Displays and Reduced Weight
Who Will Win the Smart Electronics Battle in the Second Half of the Year?
Samsung Electronics will unveil its new Galaxy foldable phone in Seoul on the 26th. This release is about two weeks earlier than usual. The success of the Galaxy foldable phone is one of the key factors that will influence Samsung Electronics' performance in the second half of the year. Can Samsung hit a home run with this new model?
'Maintaining the Leadership'
Samsung Electronics will launch the new foldable phones, Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5, at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The external display of the Z Flip5, which was 1.9 inches, is expected to be about twice as large. The external display of the Z Flip series had a small area, limiting its usability. The new model is expected to allow users to read and write messages, take photos, and send them directly from the external display.
The Z Fold5 is likely to feature a waterdrop hinge instead of the U-shaped hinge. The waterdrop hinge minimizes the crease on the internal screen when folded. It also gives a thinner feel when folded. The weight, a downside of the Z Fold5, is also expected to be reduced. The mobile application processor (AP) is likely to be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The price is expected to be set similarly to the previous models. The previous Z Fold4 (256GB) and Z Flip4 (256GB) were priced at 1,998,700 KRW and 1,254,000 KRW, respectively.
Samsung Electronics has expressed strong confidence in the new models. Seong-yeon Jang, Vice President and Head of Brand Marketing Group 1 at Samsung Electronics MX Division, said, "'Galaxy Z series' breaks away from existing frameworks and limits to redefine the role of smartphones."
Samsung plans to reinforce its image as the 'pioneer of foldable phones' worldwide through this launch. This is why the Unpacked event is held in Korea. Chinese companies are intensifying their efforts to catch up with Samsung, which leads the foldable phone market. According to Counterpoint Research data, Samsung held a 62% share of the global foldable phone market last year, far ahead of Chinese companies Huawei (16%) and Oppo (3%). However, the gap with latecomers is gradually narrowing. In May, market research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) reported that Samsung's foldable phone market share dropped to 45% in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Oppo (21%) and Huawei (15%) saw their shares increase.
Second Half Smartphone Battle Begins
Samsung will also face fierce competition with Apple over the new models. Apple will unveil the iPhone 15 series in September. Apple will release four new models: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Industry experts expect the battery life of the iPhone 15 series to increase by 11-15%. Apple will also switch the charging port to USB-C. Until now, iPhones have used their proprietary 'Lightning port.' This change is believed to be influenced by the European Union (EU) mandating all mobile phone charging ports to be standardized to USB-C by next fall.
Samsung and Apple are neck and neck for the top spot in the global smartphone market. In the first quarter of this year (January to March), Samsung Electronics held 24.6% market share, ranking first, while Apple was second with 21.3%. In the fourth quarter of last year (October to December), Apple had secured the top position.
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