[Galaxy Z Unpacked] First, First... Samsung Leads with '100 Million Won Range' Foldable Instead of Note (Comprehensive)

At the 'Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021' event held online on the night of the 11th, Tae-moon Roh, President of the Wireless Business Division at Samsung Electronics, introduced the 3rd generation foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] "Foldable phones will become the new mainstream of smartphones."

Samsung Electronics' ‘Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021’ event held on the night of the 11th was a kind of declaration presenting a new milestone and new standard called ‘foldable’ in a smartphone market saturated with traditional bar-type phones. The ‘Galaxy Note’ series, which had been the star of the second half of the year’s unpacked events for years, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Samsung Electronics put the spotlight on the 3rd generation foldable smartphones, the ‘Galaxy Z Fold3’ and ‘Galaxy Z Flip3’, which applied many first-time foldable technologies such as the S Pen and waterproof features.

In a crisis situation where Samsung is losing ground to Apple in the premium market and Xiaomi in the mid-to-low price market, the strategy is to reshape the market with foldables and continue innovation leadership as a ‘first mover’. ‘Mr. Foldable’, Tae-moon Roh, President of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business, who took the stage, repeatedly expressed confidence by saying, "Life opens up with Galaxy."

◆Foldable instead of Note... Enhanced Durability and First Support for S Pen and UDC

The stars of this Unpacked event were undoubtedly the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3. Connor Pierce, Vice President and Head of Mobile at Samsung Electronics UK, who introduced the 3rd generation foldable phones, emphasized, "Once you experience the wide display, you will never want to go back." He explained that durability, usability, and price, which were pointed out as issues in the previous models, have been greatly improved.

In particular, Samsung Electronics lowered the prices of the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 by about 400,000 KRW compared to their predecessors, breaking down the price barrier that had been considered an entry barrier. The Z Fold series is now sold for the first time in the 1 million KRW range. This price range makes it possible to compete not only among foldable phones but also with flagship smartphones such as the ‘iPhone 13’ (tentative name).

Many first-time foldable features were also applied. The Z Fold3 supports the S Pen, a representative feature of the Note series, for the first time in a foldable phone, responding to customer requests. Additionally, the under-display camera (UDC), which hides the camera hole on the smartphone screen, was installed for the first time, achieving a full-screen experience. Both the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 are equipped with IPX8-rated waterproofing, capable of withstanding water at a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, also a first for foldables.

Durability has also been enhanced. The hinge issue, which was a drawback of foldable phones, has been improved to increase safety against dust and external particles. The Z Flip3 increased the size of the cover display by four times compared to the previous model, improving usability by allowing message checking and Samsung Pay payments.

◆Declaration of Innovation Leadership... Answering “Why a foldable phone?”

This is essentially Samsung Electronics’ declaration to continue innovation leadership in the form factor market. It is a response to the blatant ‘copycat + low price’ offensive by Chinese manufacturers, and also reveals the intention to secure the market in the future form factor competition with Apple, which has yet to release a foldable phone. It reflects the determination not to repeat the humiliation of losing leadership to Apple despite being the first to launch a 5G device, which accounts for 70% of total smartphone sales.

According to market research firm Strategy Analytics (SA), the global foldable phone market is expected to grow rapidly from 2.2 million units in 2020 to 37 million units in 2023. Although the share is still small in the overall market, Samsung is evaluated to have sufficient conditions to lead the market. Samsung’s bold move not to release the Note series, which has cumulative sales of about 10 million units per series, this year and to go all-in on foldables shows this confidence. Going forward, Samsung Electronics is expected to respond with a two-track strategy of lowering prices in the foldable market and leading with innovative technology in new products.

At the 'Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021' event held online on the night of the 11th, Tae-moon Roh, President of the Wireless Business Division at Samsung Electronics, introduced the 3rd generation foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Roh also emphasized the Galaxy ecosystem and leadership embedded in foldable phones rather than the products themselves at this Unpacked event. Appearing on stage to the background music of the Galaxy Signal song ‘Over the Horizon’, arranged by BTS’s Suga, he defined the current situation as an ‘era of openness’ and mentioned, "The Z series is a product that embodies Samsung’s efforts." He declared that Samsung will maintain its global smartphone No. 1 leadership as a first mover by collaborating and opening up with competitors such as Apple, Xiaomi, and Google.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.