Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold6 at the Galaxy Undacky event in Paris. The tech giant says the foldable device is thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Samsung will launch a thinner version of its flagship foldable smartphone at a launch conference next month as it fights Chinese competitors to deliver the finest devices to the market.
A single screen of a folded phone can be folded in half, focus when Samsung first This device was launched in 2019. However, Chinese players, especially Honor and Oppo, have since actively released thinner and lighter folding agents than Samsung’s products.
Why are slim foldables important?
“With foldability, sparseness has become more critical than ever because people are not prepared to accept the compromises of thicker, heavier phones to get the real estate that foldable phones can offer,” CCS Insight’s chief analyst told CNBC this Thursday.
Honors, Oppo and other Chinese players have used a slim design to distinguish them from Samsung.
Let’s look at a comparison: Samsung’s last foldable from 2024Galaxy Z Fold6, 12.1mm thick when folded ~ (0.48 inches) and weighs 239 grams (8.43 oz). Oppo’s Discovery N5Released earlier this year, it was 8.93 mm thick and weighed 229 grams when closed. Honor Magic v3Launched last year, it is 9.2 mm when folded and weighs 226 grams.
Wood said that “Samsung needs to be strengthened” in the folding board.
That’s what the South Korean tech giant plans to do at the upcoming launch event, which is likely to take place next month.
“The latest Galaxy Z series is the thinnest, lightest, state-of-the-art foldable – carefully crafted and sustained,” Samsung said in a preview blog post about the phone earlier this month.
But the competition has not relaxed. Honors plans to release its latest foldable phone Magic V5 in China on July 2.
“It’s interesting for Samsung to be the thinner that if they can get close to the glory that has been achieved, it will be a big step with their ex, and it will be a tangible step in design,” Wood said.
Despite these advancements through foldable means, the market for devices is not as exciting as many would have hoped.
CCS Insight said folding volume will account for only 2% of the overall smartphone market this year. Thinner phones may be a solution to the slow market, but consumer preferences also need to change.
“By delivering thinner folding boards, which are more similar to traditional monolithic phones, it will provide an opportunity to turn the consumer’s head and let them revisit the idea of having a folding device,” Wood said.
“However, I would warn of the problem of foldability still being problematic because in many cases consumers struggle to see why folding devices are needed.”
Although the market remains small compared to traditional smartphones, Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, noted explain Apple (Apple) (obviously lacking) product lineup – Plan Fold iPhones from next year.
