Galaxy Fold may enter China in November

Source:Global Times Published: 2019/10/9 20:47:01

Visitors photograph the new Samsung Galaxy Fold at the Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: IC


Samsung's foldable smartphone Galaxy Fold may be available in China by November 1, commencing the race of foldable devices in the country. But experts said that the launch might be premature and the phone will face competition from local and international brands, notably but not only Chinese technology giant Huawei. 

The sales of Galaxy Fold will start on the first day of November in the Samsung online store in China, and sales at physical outlets will start on November 11, according to a Weibo account that's certificated as belonging to a product manger of smart wearable devices for Samsung on Tuesday.

Galaxy Fold arrived in South Korea on September 6 at a price of about $2,000, according to media reports. Samsung previously scheduled the launch of the Galaxy Fold on April 26, but soon delayed the launch after problems of its test units arose due to fragile screens and hinges. 

However, according to media reports, the improved version of the Galaxy Fold still doesn't seem to be as durable as the reviewers would like. According to a review test run by US technology products information platform CNET, the Galaxy Fold's screen survived around 120,000 automated folds before it blacked out, far lower than the 200,000 folds that Samsung claims the device can endure. 

"The technology for bendable screens is still a major obstacle in the production of those foldable devices, and for now there is still a long way to go before these devices can reach the mass market," Wang Yanhui, secretary-general of the Mobile China Alliance, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

"In the short run, the price is likely to remain way above the popular range," Wang said. "The overall market is still very immature."

It is still unclear when the Mate X, the foldable prototype from Huawei, will be rolled out in the market, but media reports show that the international launch might be as early as this month. 

"Huawei's reputation in technology advances and its supply chain link with BOE Technology will give it a competitive edge in the local market. If the race is on, Samsung might take only a very limited share of the market," Wang said. 

Samsung will also face fierce completion from companies like Xiaomi, which seems to target the lower-end market. The Chinese company showcased its foldable phone earlier this year in a video. Although the device is yet to be launched and priced, a report by sina.com in March said that the price might be only about $999, drastically lower than most of its competitors.

Other brands are aiming for foldable but not bendable devices. Microsoft, for example, has attempted to dabble in the foldable devices market with its Surface Duo, a dual-screen prototype that consists of two screens and can be folded and unfolded like a book. Surface Duo is expected to launch in 2020.  



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