Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
The Galaxy Fold will go marked down on April 26 and exploit new and quicker 5G versatile systems. The gadget seems to be like a regular cell phone, yet then opens like a book to uncover a presentation the measure of a little tablet at 7.3 inches (18.5 cm).
The gadget "answers cynics who said that everything that should be possible has been done," DJ Koh, CEO of Samsung Electronics, said at an occasion in San Francisco. "We are here to refute them."
Samsung remains the world's biggest cell phone producer with almost a fifth of worldwide unit deals however failed to meet expectations a drooping business sector a year ago. Chinese adversary Huawei Technologies Co Ltd - whose Mate arrangement of telephones likewise direction premium costs - picked up piece of the pie. Other Chinese producers like Xiaomi Corp have likewise been expanding costs, leaving Samsung to guard its turf against upstart opponents notwithstanding its long-lasting adversary Apple.
With the foldable telephone, Samsung is going on the offense on two fronts in the cell phone race: It is putting forth an eye-getting new element with the enormous, twisting screen and the main 5G association in a top notch telephone, an element examiners don't anticipate that Apple should coordinate until 2020.
Samsung is likewise making enhancements to its leader Galaxy S gadgets and plans to offer a 4G form of its collapsing telephone.
It also challenges the notion of what a phone can cost, debuting at nearly twice the price of current top-of-the-line models from Apple and Samsung itself.
Patrick Moorhead, founder of Moor Insights & Strategy, said the new folding device could help Samsung stay at the top and lure consumers to upgrade devices that have looked largely the same over the past five years.
"Samsung and Apple go back and forth" to lead the premium smartphone market, Moorhead said. "I think this is Samsung's chance to take back the innovation crown."
And even though the $1,980 starting price is steep, some dedicated Samsung fans said they would pay it. Navneet Kumar Singh, a Samsung enthusiast from India who traveled to San Francisco to watch the launch, is ready to place his order.
"The prices of the flagship models have been a little aggressive in India," he said, "But in the end, if you invest the money you're getting a different experience."
Samsung also introduced several accessories to compete against Apple, including a pair of wireless headphones called Galaxy Buds. The headphones include wireless charging, a feature that Apple has promised to put into is competing AirPods but has not yet released.
Samsung also said that its new Galaxy phones will be able to wirelessly charge its headphones and new smartwatches by setting the accessories on the back of the phone.
10 TIMES FASTER
Along with the folding phone, Samsung also added new cameras and a 5G version to its Galaxy series of phones.
Verizon Communications Inc will be the first carrier to offer service for Samsung's 5G phones. The networks are expected to be 10 times faster than current ones, improving viewing of live news and sports events.
With the 5G versions of its flagships, the Korean electronics maker looks to have beaten Chinese rivals in the 5G race, although the device will operate only on the small number of networks launching later this year. Apple is not expected to release a 5G smartphone until late 2020.
The new networks are not available in many places yet but will roll out this year and next. Consumers who want to hold on to their phones for several years before upgrading may be tempted to buy a 5G phone now so that it will be able to take advantage of those networks later, said Bob O'Donnell of TECHnalysis Research. That could sway some Apple buyers over to Samsung and other Android makers with 5G devices.
"People are going to be thinking about, am going to be able to use this a year from now? Two years from now? Three years?" he said.
Rival smartphone makers are expected to announce 5G models at next week's Mobile World Congress, the industry's top annual event, in Spain. Samsung said its 5G handset would be available in the early summer.
The Galaxy 10 series needs to appeal to consumers who are reluctant to upgrade for only incremental technological improvements in performance.
All of the Galaxy series of rigid phones except the 5G will be available from March 8, with the S10+ priced from $1,000, the S10 priced from $900 and the smaller S10e from $750.
The mainline S10 compares with $999 for Apple's iPhone XS and $858 for Huawei's premium Mate 20 Pro.