Samsung’s next line of foldable phones aims to entice traditional phone customers with artificial intelligence.

Creator: NurPhoto

On Wednesday, the firm held its annual Unpacked event in Paris for the first time, announcing improvements to its foldable devices and earphones, as well as new information about its planned smart ring.

The stars of the show, however, are Samsung’s latest foldable phones, which are lighter, slimmer, and packed with AI tools: the Galaxy Z Fold 6, a smartphone that opens outward like a book to form a tablet, and the clamshell-like Galaxy Z Flip 6, which has a design reminiscent of early 2000s flip phones.

The business claims that both devices have a more durable hinge, a longer battery life, and are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU, which is geared for AI processing.

These enhancements, however, have a larger cost. The new Galaxy Z Fold costs $1,899.99, up $100 from last year, and comes in silver, pink, and navy. Meanwhile, the Z Flip starts at $1,099.99 (a $100 increase over last year) and is available in silver, yellow, blue, and mint. The smartphones go on sale on Wednesday.

One of the most significant barriers to consumer adoption of foldable devices remains price. According to ABI Research, foldable shipments hit 20 million in 2023 and are expected to increase to roughly 28 million units in 2024, representing less than 3% of overall shipments.

According to David McQueen, a research director at ABI Research, foldable displays will eventually make their way into other mobile goods such as tablets, laptops, and smartwatches, but most manufacturers are now focused on getting consumers used to foldable phones.

“While the user experience of foldable devices has improved through each new iteration, the sector has still yet to fully convince consumers of the improved use cases, tactile benefits, and the added functionality of a foldable product,” he told me.

Ahead of the presentation, TM Roh, Samsung’s president and head of mobile experience, told reporters that the new pricing reflects component prices but could be reduced more in the future.

“The price depends a lot on how the related technologies develop and how fast they evolve in the future,” he told me. “We do believe it will take time (for the prices to drop), so as of now we are focusing more on the premium aspects.”

Roh also believes that its Galaxy AI software will retain its foldable line a market leader, even if competing flip and fold models like Google, Huawei, and Motorola launch enticing options. Samsung’s foldable line accounts for 80% to 85% of the market share. (Some predict Apple to release a foldable iPhone in the coming years).

In addition to a lighter design, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 6.3-inch cover screen, up from 6.2 inches, to assist boost user productivity. At the same time, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 features a new 3.4-inch Super AMOLED screen and camera system, including a 50MP wide lens with 2x optical zoom and 12MP ultra-wide sensors that promise more information in photos.