samsung folding phone is different - but also almost $2,000 - foldable touch screen

SAN FRANCISCO —
Samsung has released a much-anticipated smartphone with a foldable screen in an attempt to break the innovative panic that has plagued the smartphone market.
But it is not clear that consumers will accept a device that retails for nearly $2,000, or that it will provide the creative catalyst needed for the smartphone market.
The Galaxy Fold announced in San Francisco on Wednesday will be released on April 26 for $1,980.
Consumers who are willing to pay a high price for this will get a device that can unfold like a wallet.
It can work like a traditional 4 smartphone.
6 inch screen or morph into something more like a miniA tablet of 7. 3 inch screen.
When fully deployed, the device will be able to run three different applications simultaneously on the screen.
Galaxy Fold will also have six cameras: three behind, two inside and one in front.
After nearly five years of developing its foldable technology
Samsung is clearly hoping for a big return on the screen phone.
"Get ready for the dawn of the new era," announced DJ Koh, who is in charge of Samsung's smartphone division.
The new phone, he said, "answered questions from skeptics who said everything was done.
"If Samsung is right, Galaxy Fold will prompt more people to upgrade their phones.
Overall smartphone sales peaked in 2017;
According to research firm International Data, Samsung's smartphone sales fell by eight percentage points last year.
According to IDC, global smartphone sales fell by 4 percentage points in 2018.
But most analysts think the market for foldable phones is limited.
At least in the early days.
Ramon Lamas, an analyst at IDC, said phones like Galaxy Fold "could be sold to very limited technology enthusiasts, who like big screens and have big wallets . ".
Although he also believes that Galaxy Fold is more of a "identity symbol" than mainstream products, Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said the device is symbolic for Samsung, the best-selling smartphone in the world.
"This shows that Samsung is the company that drives new innovation and market excitement," Moorhead said . ".
Justin Denison, senior vice president of Samsung, admitted that there is no doubt that Galaxy Fold is "luxury technology"
In an interview with the president
But he also predicted that the appearance of foldable screens would bring new uses to mobile devices.
"This is a technical miracle," Denison said . "
"When you first see a flexible screen, it will bend your mind a bit.
Samsung has also released a new Galaxy S10 phone that echoes the features of other models recently.
Each of the devices in the S10 series has exquisite cameras, stylish screens covering the entire front of the device with at least 128 gigabytes of storage space
An important function for consumers to buy mobile phones.
The new mobile phone has a wider range of applications
Angle photos can be taken compared to previous models, and other devices can be charged, including wireless headsets and smart watches.
The fourth S10 model to be launched this spring will get faster wireless speeds through the emerging 5g cellular network.
But these improvements are not a big leap forward from the smartphones that Samsung, Apple and other top manufacturers have released in the last few years.
"These phones are all variations of the theme we have seen," Llamas said . ".
"The lyrics of this song are slightly different.
"As the pace of smartphone innovation seems to be locked in the baby stage, consumers have kept their existing devices longer than in the past.
Adding to this reluctance to upgrade, Galaxy Fold seems unlikely to ease the impact of smartphone stickers.
Prices for some existing models have soared to more than $1,000.
Samsung launched a slightly smaller S10 model for $750, trying to make smartphones more affordable, but at a higher price --
The final model costs $900 and $1,000.
This is the second time in the past five months that a leading smartphone maker has positioned the $750 handset as a frugal option.
Apple also priced the cheapest new iPhone XR released last fall at $750.
Other smartphone makers, including Huawei and Xiaomi in China, who have gained market share, produce smartphones that sell for $500 or less,end models.
Samsung's two new models, S10 and S10 Plus, are designed differently, but are largely incremental upgrades to last year's S9 and S9 Plus.
They are roughly the same size as last year's model, but there will be more room for display as Samsung has found more ways to eliminate waste on the edges.
As a by-product, there is a circular or oval cut in the upper right corner of the displayfacing cameras. The lowest-
The priced "essentials" model S10e has most of the same features, but is 5 percentage points smaller in volume than S10.
S10e also lacks curved edges, a sign feature for many Samsung phones.
All three S10 models will be launched in March 8.
Orders starting on Thursday
Samsung hyped its 10 th anniversary series ahead of next week's big mobile conference in Barcelona.
Huawei, which has the potential to replace Apple as the world's second-largest smartphone seller, has promised to preview its device with a foldable screen using a Spanish display, and be able to connect to the 5g network with the 5g network running in the next few years. ——
Jesdanun reports in New York.