Samsung launches pre-orders in UAE for Galaxy Z Flip5, Fold 5 as foldable phone market open up

Samsung launches pre-orders in UAE for Galaxy Z Flip5, Fold 5 as foldable phone market open up

The South Korean tech giant unveiled the latest models at an event in Seoul and has launched pre-orders in the UAE. Tech retailers now say that foldable handsets are no longer seen as ‘just a fad’ and one that’s likely to be picked up 1-2 per cent of the consumer base. In the UAE, foldables could with just a little push - take up around 5 per cent of all smartphones sold in another 2-3 years, retailers say.

Currently, the foldable handset market in the UAE makes up 2-3 per cent of the total. The likes of Huawei and Honor already have their versions, and Apple remains the one holdout that has not committed to coming up with this form.

Last year’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip started at Dh3,799 (for 128GB), while the Fold cost Dh6,799 (for 56GB).

This year, Samsung, while maintaining the price levels, has dropped the 128GB version of the Flip and straight away going to the 256GB. And on the Galaxy Z Fold, it introduced a 1TB version.

“Samsung’s move to promote higher capacity versions - the 512GB and 1TB - and backed by upgrade or bundled offers will drive the sales,” said Rajat Asthana, Chief Operating