Samsung’s Unpacked event has just wrapped up here in Johannesburg and it’s proven to be one of the most exciting Unpacked events in a while.
Not only were three new S20 series devices unveiled, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Buds+, a new content partnership with Netflix, a gaming partnership with Xbox and Google Duo integrated into the new handsets.
There was also the all new foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip.
Building on the success of the Galaxy Fold – Samsung Mobile South Africa’s CEO, Mr Sung Yoon, said that they consistently sold out of Folds in just a matter of hours – the Z Flip is a more style conscious device that brings back a familiar form factor, the flip phone.
Available in South Africa in either Mirror Black or Mirror Purple – Samsung Mobile South Africa would not confirm nor deny future availability of the Mirror Gold variant – the Galaxy Z Flip boasts an Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) display – the first foldable glass display in any smartphone – a Hideaway Hinge that not only disappears into the phone when open but also integrates a new sweeper technology which uses nylon fibers to repel dust and dirt, something the Galaxy Fold sorely lacks.
At a price point of R29 999.00, the Z Flip is beyond the reach of the average consumer, however, when asked if we’d see the foldable form factor become more affordable in future, Samsung Mobile South Africa’s Director of Integrated Mobility – Justin Hume – said that “the foldable trend is here and will definitely migrate across price points.”
The Z Flip, while still a foldable device, is different in nature and design to the Galaxy Fold and could be seen as an outlier in Samsung’s current smartphone lineup. The “Z is a new category and Flip is a model of that category” said Hume when questioned about the unique nature of the Galaxy Z Flip within the Samsung Galaxy lineup.
This means that you can expect a potential split in Samsung’s foldable lineup between the power-user focused Galaxy Fold and the more fashion conscious Galaxy Z series, much like the current split between the Galaxy S series and the Galaxy Note series, with more foldable variations in Samsung’s future smartphone lineup.
The Galaxy Z Flip will have a limited release on 22 February in South Africa with a full release taking place in March.
