Samsung’s bet on foldable phones faces major test with slimmer new model

Sign up now: Get STs newsletters delivered to your inbox

A person holding a Galaxy Z Fold 7 phone during a Samsung unveiling event in New York on July 8.

PHOTO: REUTERS

SEOUL – Samsung Electronics on July 9 unveiled thinner, lighter new foldable phones as it aims to fend off Chinese competition in the higher-margin, premium segment that remains untapped by arch-rival Apple.

The stakes are high. The South Korean company lost its global smartphone crown to Apple in 2023, and faces growing competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei and Honor.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s mainstay chip business has

suffered a profit slump

Samsung’s mobile president and chief operating officer, Mr Choi Won-joon, said his most important mission is to make Samsung a leader in AI-powered smartphones.

“I believe that foldable phones, integrated with AI features, are ready to become mainstream by offering a unique, differentiated experience,” he told Reuters in his first media interview since being promoted in March.

He said Samsung aims to take a leadership position in AI by enhancing cooperation with external partners like Google, unlike Apple, which has been using in-house AI technology that has faced delays in adding key features.

Samsung, which held its unveiling event in New York, on July 9 also showed its first smartwatches equipped with Google’s AI voice assistant, Gemini, which can make recommendations to the owner, such as good locations for a run.

Samsung said in April that it is pushing ahead with a premium product strategy, even as US tariffs threatened to dampen demand