Samsung Gulf Electronics has launched its new foldable smartphone devices in the UAE and expects that demand for the devices will increase by 77 per cent in the GCC, compared with its Fold4 and Flip4 models, as interest in the emerging smartphone category grows, a top executive of the company said.
The retooled Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5, launched at the first Unpacked event held in Seoul last month, have had an overwhelming response during the pre-order phase, said Fadi Abu Shamat, head of Samsung Gulf's mobile experience division.
“We are targeting a 77 per cent increase [in demand] in our upcoming Fold and Flip, in anticipation of amazing demand from the local market, especially from our younger generation,” Mr Abu Shamat told The National on Thursday, ahead of the launch.
He said while pre-order growth figures have yet to be finalised, Samsung Gulf is targeting a 40 per cent increase over last year's Galaxy Z line-up.
“It's very ambitious, but we're very confident that we will deliver it because we believe in the trends.”
Both devices remain popular, and on different fronts: while Fold leads in terms of quantity, the Flip is growing faster, Mr Abu Shamat said.
“The Fold still has a strong presence in the region, showing that its users are maintaining and upgrading. But in terms of growth, the Flip has witnessed 50 per cent more growth so far in the pre-order phase,” he said.
“So this is extremely good news for us because we are retaining our Fold users and expanding, almost doubling our Flip users.”
The world's biggest manufacturer of mobile phones had also taken cues from customer feedback in the GCC to attract a larger user base, said DooHee Lee, president of Samsung Gulf Electronics.
“The GCC markets' ever evolving and vibrant landscape underscores the significance of providing an exciting mobile experience that also enhances the new growth chapter in the region,” he said.
Samsung Gulf does not oversee the Saudi Arabia market.
Seoul-based Samsung Electronics wants to cement its lead in the still niche but growing foldable category in the hotly contested smartphone market.
Both the Fold5 and Flip5 phones are aesthetically similar to their predecessors and come with token upgrades. However, the clamshell-type Flip5 is arguably the bigger deal, with its cover screen nearly doubled to 3.4in.
The premium Fold5 – Samsung's most expensive handset – is the slimmest and lightest in its series. Both devices use an upgraded Flex Hinge, which closes the gap between their folds and makes them easier to operate.
Foldable devices are a minor category in the overall smartphone market, but manufacturers are working to bring more of these into the market as consumer preferences shift.
The growth in popularity of foldable smartphones has been attributed mainly to Samsung, which pushed the category into the mainstream, starting with the Galaxy Z Fold in 2019. The company followed that with the Galaxy Z Flip the following year.
Shipments of foldable smartphones are forecast to quadruple by 2025 as original equipment manufacturers focus on the premium device business, Counterpoint Research said in a report last month.
Original equipment manufacturers are expected to ship about 55 million foldable devices by 2025, into a premium smartphone segment that grew by 1 per cent last year, compared with the overall smartphone market's 12 per cent decline, it said.
“As we launch the new devices in the market, we are excited to surpass this demand. We forecast an aggressive double-digit growth in our mobile ecosystem throughout the year,” Mr Abu Shamat said.
As part of the launch campaign, Samsung Gulf announced two partnerships with UAE global technology company e&, formerly known as etisalat.
The latter's financial technology division, e& money, has added Samsung Wallet to its digital payment platform for secure and contactless payments at several online and in-store outlets globally.
The move is aimed at “transforming how people engage with the digital world, simplifying payments and unlocking a new level of convenience and control”, Khalifa Al Shamsi, chief executive of e& life, which oversees e& money, said in a statement.
Samsung has also partnered with e& and Emirates Nature-WWF to support sustainability projects, in which Samsung will donate a portion its sales for ocean-specific projects in the UAE.
Pre-launch orders for the devices end today, and they will be available in shops from tomorrow. The Flip5 is priced at Dh3,899 ($1,069) and Dh4,349, while the Fold5 is priced at Dh6,799 and Dh7,249, for 256GB and 512GB, respectively. A limited-edition 1TB version of the Fold5 is Dh8,149.
Customers ordering the Flip5 through Samsung's website will also get Beyond Limits Special Edition packaging, in collaboration with Amna Al Qubaisi, the first Emirati woman racing driver.
Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Tab S9 series and the Watch6 line-up, comprising the Watch6 and Watch6 Classic.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT)
Tuesday
Mairobr v Liverpool
Spartak Moscow v Sevilla
Feyenoord v Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City v Napoli
Monaco v Besiktas
RB Leipzig v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur
Wednesday
Benfica v Manchester United
CSKA Moscow v Basel
Bayern Munich v Celtic
Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag v Atletico Madrid
Chelsea v Roma
Barcelona v Olympiakos
Juventus v Sporting Lisbon
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Naga
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Elvis
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Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
