At its product launch event on Wednesday, Samsung will once again make the hard sell for foldable phones. It will attempt to show that smartphones can now offer the flexibility of flipping and folding without compromising on performance or features.
Samsung is expected to announce its next-generation Flip 4 phone – which opens like a clamshell, a design reminiscent of flip phones from the early 2000s – as well as the Z Fold 4, which opens outward like a book to form a tablet.
The devices will likely get camera upgrades, a new hinge and slimmer body, and a longer-lasting battery. The Flip’s cover is rumored to get an enhanced interface, allowing easier access to notifications, widget control and wallet functionality, without needing to open the phone.
After an inauspicious start with its Galaxy Fold phone in 2019, Samsung has continued to push the concept of foldable smartphones, often at very high price points. But Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, told CNN Business that Samsung’s foldable efforts remain “an epic disappointment” for the company.
“This has been an Everest-like uphill climb to success on the foldable concept – design, pricing, and consumer preferences and habits make Flip and Fold a very niche segment of the Samsung base,” he said.
