Samsung: Right after the official presentation of its new folding cell phones, last Wednesday (11), Samsung seems to have been excited with the prospect of future sales. South Korean Executive Vice President and Head of Strategic Marketing, Bryan Choi, detailed in an interview that he plans to triple profit in this category of devices over last year.
Considering the number of sales of Samsung’s first folding cell phone models in 2019, Choi’s estimate may not be so unattainable. During their launch, the Galaxy Fold and Z Flip sold about 700,000 units, while their successors achieved about 2.2 million sales the following year — a remarkable increase of almost 230%.
This year, according to Choi’s interview, Samsung expects to sell about 6.5 million units of folding cell phones, a number estimated after analysis by experts at Strategy Analytics. Although not specified, it is possible that the South Korean is expecting a good performance during the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 to the market — or their positive effect on sales of previous models, due to their unfriendly price.
With the apparent “retirement”, as yet unconfirmed, of the Galaxy Note line and the addition of support for the S Pen in the new Galaxy Z line, it is increasingly clear that Samsung’s focus is shifting, favoring new models with new features. productivity once exclusive and sold as a differentiator. This change will possibly favor the adoption of the South Korean folding cell phones, something already confirmed by Choi, who cited that “9 out of 10 users” of the models do not want to return to the “traditional” format.
Inaccessible availability
However, the transition is not exactly accessible for all users. The biggest hurdle to adoption, yet to be overcome, is the price of the models, reinforced by the absence of boxed components and other “premium” features present in the “sister” Galaxy S lineup — such as the powerful array of cameras and increased capabilities. RAM memory.
Not yet available in Brazil, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 are sold internationally for prices starting at US$ 1,799 and US$ 999, around R$ 9,500 and R$ 5300 in direct conversion. However, considering that the predecessor models landed in Brazil with prices starting at R$ 12,600, it is possible to assume that the novelty will cost significantly more for Brazilians.
