Samsung Electronics unveiled the latest iterations of its foldable smartphones on Wednesday, as it aims to solidify its lead in the niche category that is expected to grow in the coming years.
The world's biggest mobile phone maker introduced the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 at its Unpacked event. The company is positioning the new devices to overtake its Galaxy Note in terms of sales and popularity.
Samsung's second Unpacked event of the year is also the first without any speculation on the Note, which was discontinued after Samsung announced a “brand new chapter” for its Galaxy devices earlier this year.
The Note's legacy, however, was kept alive when Samsung integrated its signature accessory, the S Pen stylus, in the high-end Galaxy S22 that was launched earlier this year.
“The next foldable devices offer unparalleled mobile experiences that meet the needs of our most dynamic users," T M Roh, president and head of Samsung's mobile business, said in a statement.
"Excitement for foldables continues to grow. We’ve successfully transformed this category from a radical project to a mainstream device line-up."
The division expects to post "solid profitability, with foldable products becoming mainstream as the company targets foldable sales to surpass that of the Galaxy Note series”, Seoul-based Samsung said in its second-quarter earnings report last month.
Samsung was not the first to release a smartphone with a foldable display — China's Royole unveiled the FlexPai during a low-key launch in 2018.
However, the South Korean company was the first to push out the device into the mainstream consumer market with the release of the Galaxy Fold in 2019.
The move enabled Samsung to beat China's Huawei Technologies to the draw, as the latter had to postpone the launch of its own foldable Mate X in the same year to conduct further testing after early testers raised concerns about the Galaxy Fold.
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However, foldable smartphones still have a long way to go.
Shipments of the devices — which include both fold and flip phones — stood at 7.1 million in 2021, almost quadruple the 1.9 million units shipped in 2020, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).
Still, it was only enough for a 0.5 per cent market share in the overall industry. Traditional smartphones accounted for 99.5 per cent of the total with more than 1.34 billion shipments last year, the research company said.
Even with a projected 70 per cent compound annual growth rate through to 2025, foldables would still only eke out less than a 2 per cent market share by then out of 27.6 million shipments, IDC said.
Samsung is dominating the category. The global foldable smartphone market grew by more than 111 per cent annually to 1.5 million units in the first quarter of 2022.
The Korean company extended its market share to 65 per cent, from 51 per cent a year ago, widening the gap between it and second-placed Huawei, according to Counterpoint Research.
There are a number of other folding devices in the market, most notably Huawei's Mate X series and Motorola's Razr. Oppo, Xiaomi and Huawei's former unit Honor also have their own versions.
Orders for the devices have opened. Samsung also said that customers in South Korea who order will receive a non-fungible token (NFT), the full benefits of which will be announced at a later date.
This marks the first time a Samsung device is being associated with an NFT. It is unclear if this pre-order bonus will be extended outside South Korea.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 4
The fourth iteration of Samsung's flagship foldable device retains its 7.6-inch (19.3-centimetre) main inner display but a design revamp has made it wider. Its cover display remains at 6.2 inches (15.74cm).
The company said there are across-the-board improvements in processing (14 per cent faster), graphics (59 per cent) and neural units (68 per cent).
In perhaps the most significant upgrade to its camera. The Fold 4 now has a 50-megapixel main sensor, compared with the previous models, which had 12MP. Samsung also promises better performance in night and low-light conditions.
The Fold 4 starts at Dh6,849, and will come with storage sizes of 256 gigabytes, 512GB and one terabyte — the last of which is offered exclusively on Samsung's website.
Samsung Galaxy Flip 4
Samsung's third Flip — the company skipped a 'Flip 2' last year to align the Galaxy Z series' naming conventions — also broadly retains its aesthetics, with a 6.7-inch (17cm) inside display and a 1.9-inch (4.8cm) outer screen.
Processing (8 per cent faster), graphics (58 per cent) and neural (62 per cent) performance also receive upgrades.
The Flip 4 starts at Dh3,849, and will come in three storage sizes — 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Samsung famously slashed the price of the Flip 3 last year by about half, compared with the original Flip, as it aimed to entice more users.
It will be interesting to see if the new Flip can continue with its momentum: the device accounted for 51 per cent of foldable sales in the first quarter of 2022, the third straight quarter it has led the market, according to industry tracker Digital Supply Chain.
The Fold was second, also for the third consecutive quarter.
Both Fold 4 and Flip 4 come with all-day battery life and fast-charging capabilities.
Galaxy Watch 5
Samsung also unveiled two new digital timepieces, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro, as it aims to take on Apple in the smartwatch category.
The Android Wear OS-powered devices now feature faster charging and improved health sensors, with 16GB of internal storage. The Watch 5 sports an aluminium case while the higher-end Pro has a titanium case.
Global shipments of smartwatches rose 13 per cent to about 33.7 million units in the first quarter of 2022, according to Counterpoint.
Apple continued to dominate the market, with a 36 per cent share, while Samsung strengthened its hold on the second spot with about 10 per cent.
Galaxy Buds 2
The Galaxy Buds 2 constitute Samsung's attempt to take on Apple's AirPods and the rest of the vast true wireless stereo (TWS) headset market.
The audio device offers up to 29 hours of battery life and has improved sound quality and active noise cancellation.
Global sales of TWS devices — or hearables — grew by about a quarter to about 300 million units in 2021, with Apple's AirPods having a leading 26 per cent share of the market, according to Counterpoint.
Samsung was third with 7 per cent, behind Xiaomi with 9 per cent.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Second Test, Day 2:
South Africa 335 & 75/1 (22.0 ov)
England 205
South Africa lead by 205 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
The years Ramadan fell in May
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
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Age
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$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
