Heena Sharma Blog

Samsung Electronics , the world's top smartphone maker, gave a glimpse of new square-shaped foldable phones in a surprise TV commercial aired during the Academy Awards on Sunday. The ad, broadcast only in the United States, comes two days before its Galaxy Z Flip phones, which open and close vertically like a flip phone, are due to be unveiled at an event in San Francisco. While there were many shots of the phones, which come in at least purple and black, there were few other details. They are, however, expected to be less expensive than the $1,980 Galaxy Fold which opens like a book and was launched in September, delayed by several months after problems with its screens. "The new Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone will create a halo effect for Samsung's brand and help it better compete with Apple's pricey models," said Tom Kang, an analyst at research firm Counterpoint, adding that Samsung had taken the lead in foldable phones at a time when Chinese rival...

Samsung Electronics Co . is preparing to unveil its second foldable device early next year, a luxury phone that folds down into a compact-sized square. The South Korean smartphone giant is working on a device with a 6.7-inch inner display that shrinks to a pocketable square when it’s folded inward like a clamshell, according to people familiar with the product’s development. Samsung is seeking to make its second bendable smartphone more affordable and thinner than this year’s Galaxy Fold, they said. The launch of the successor device may, however, hinge on how well the Fold performs after its imminent launch, one of the people said. Samsung is collaborating with American designer Thom Browne on its upcoming foldable phone, endeavoring to appeal to a broader range of consumers that includes those more interested in fashion, status and luxury than a device’s tech specs. For the techies, the company will have the appeal of cutting-edge display technology and the nostalgic appeal...

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled its much-anticipated foldable phone in San Francisco on Wednesday, urging Android developers to start writing apps for it. Samsung needs to get the foldable phone right to reverse steep declines in profit for its mobile division and restore some of the cachet its brand has lost to Apple Inc . Foldable phones promise the screen of a small tablet in a pocket-sized device. Justin Denison, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics America's Mobile Product Strategy and Marketing, showed a prototype with a screen he said measured 7.3 inches diagonally. Folded in two it appeared to resemble a thick phone, but Samsung did not give media or developers a chance to touch or see the device up close. Dave Burke, vice president of engineering for Google's Android software platform, told a Google conference in California that Samsung planned to introduce a new Android-based device early next year. "We expect to see folda...