Samsung to unveil new foldable smartphones on August 10

Samsung Electronics will hold its next Unpacked event on August 10 to reveal the next generation of its foldable smartphones. The world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer will unveil the next iterations of the Galaxy Z series, expected to be called the Fold 4 and Flip 4, with a short video on Samsung's website teasing the latter.

It was unclear if the South Korean technology company will continue to hold virtual launches of its products, as it has done for the past two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, or opt for a limited physical attendance. "Innovation isn’t just about radical ideas; it’s about unlocking new experiences that transform our daily lives for the better," Samsung said. "Meaningful innovations go beyond the technical and provide a platform upon which our every day lives become richer and more versatile — opening us up to greater possibilities than ever before."

The growth in popularity of foldable smartphones has been largely attributed to Samsung, which pushed the category into the mainstream, starting with the original Fold in 2019.

Global sales of foldable smartphones rose 111 per cent annually in the first quarter of 2022, data from Counterpoint Research shows. Foldable shipments are expected to surge 83 per cent to 16.6 million units this year, outperforming the overall smartphone market, which is seen to decline by 2.5 per cent to about 1.36 billion, it added.

Samsung enjoys a wide lead in the market with a 65 per cent market share in the first quarter of 2022, with China's Huawei a distant second with 19 per cent, Counterpoint data showed. But while Samsung is expected to continue dominating the market, its lead is seen to be reduced as Chinese manufacturers capture more market share this year, it added.

Samsung typically holds two Unpacked events in a calendar year, with the traditional February event used to unveil its flagship S series. The August Unpacked has traditionally been dedicated to the Note series until last year. But for the first time last August, Samsung did not introduce a new Note and instead unveiled an all-Fold line-up, triggering speculation that the Note would be phased out given that its signature accessory, the S Pen, had already been integrated with last year's high-end Galaxy S21.

Last year's Galaxy Z Fold 3 featured a 7.6-inch main screen and 6.2-inch cover display. Pre-orders for the device were four times higher in the GCC compared to its predecessor released in September last year, Samsung Gulf told The National in September.

The Z Fold 3, meanwhile, had a 6.7-inch screen. The expected Flip 4 remains the third model in the series as Samsung skipped a "2" version of the device to align it with the Fold 3, much like when it bypassed a Note 6 to align the now-defunct series with its flagship Galaxy S line-up.

Samsung and rival Apple were able to grow their smartphone market share in the first quarter of 2022, even as overall global shipments dropped, Singapore-based research firm Canalys reported in May.