Samsung has unveiled its latest foldable smartphones — the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4 — and they will soon be available to customers in the UAE.
The unveiling comes just weeks ahead of Apple's expected release of the iPhone 14 as Samsung aims to stay ahead of its rival as the leading smartphone maker by market share.
How much will UAE customers have to pay for the new devices and can they order in advance? The National has all the details:
Are orders open in the UAE and when will the phones be released?
Yes, pre-release orders are now open, until August 25, in Samsung stores and authorised online channels and retailers.
There is, however, no confirmed date for when the phones will actually be available in the UAE.
Samsung has a pre-release-order offer for its customers in the UAE whereby they get twice the storage for the same price.
That means when choosing the Galaxy Z Fold4 128GB, customers will get the 256GB version for the same price, and the same for the Flip4.
Customers who opt to order from Samsung.com until August 25 will also enjoy benefits that include access to exclusive colour options, opportunity to customise their device, one-year Samsung Care+, up to 24-month instalment plan with 0 per cent interest rate, free delivery, five-times Samsung Rewards points, plus trade-in opportunities with doorstep evaluations for the first time with pre-release orders.
Etisalat is offering flexible monthly payment starting from Dh170 per month, while du is offering the Flip4 from Dh152 a month plus VAT and the Fold4 from Dh272 per month plus VAT.
What is the price in the UAE?
What are the main features of the new devices?
The Galaxy Z Flip4 has an upgraded camera, a larger battery and expanded customisation, according to Samsung.
"Its compact clamshell design offers unique experiences not available on any other smartphone," Samsung said.
"Users can shoot hands-free videos or capture full group selfies at various angles by partially folding the Galaxy Z Flip4 to activate FlexCam."
The Fold4, meanwhile, offers PC-like multitasking features, in addition to advanced camera technology and powerful mobile processors, according to Samsung.
It is the first device to ship with Android 12L, a special version of Android created by Google for large-screen experiences, including foldables.
It comes with an upgraded 50-megapixel wide-lens camera and 30x Space Zoom lens.
Samsung promises better performance in night and low-light conditions.
What colours do the phones come in?
The Galaxy Z Flip4 comes in bora purple and graphite, pink gold and blue.
The Galaxy Z Fold4 comes in grey green, beige and phantom black.
When is Apple releasing the iPhone 14?
That isn't far away. Its launch event is expected in September, as it usually is each year, and possibly as early as September 6, according to insider leaks.
The highly anticipated event is expected to unveil the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro (both 15.5 centimetres), as well as the iPhone 14 Max and the iPhone 14 Pro Max (both 17cm).
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Samsung Galaxy phones through the years
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Samsung released its first Galaxy S phone in 2010, three years after the launch of the first Apple iPhone. It had a 4-inch (10.16 centimetre) Super AMOLED display and a five-megapixel rear camera. Photo: Samsung -
Samsung's Galaxy S2, released in 2011, looked, as you would expect, like a jump forward in terms of technology. The screen was slightly bigger, at 4.3 inches, while the rear camera was now 8MP. The device came with a dual-core processor. Photo: Samsung -
The Samsung Galaxy S3, which was released in 2012, was the first in the series to have an HD screen. The new design had a more rounded shape. It ran on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Photo: Samsung -
Samsung's Galaxy S4 was released in April 2013 and felt like a real competitor to the iPhone. Its processing power was increased, the screen was enlarged to five inches and the rear camera to 13MP. Photo: Samsung -
Ah, some innovation ... the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom came with an optical zoom lens on the back. Quirky, and not necessarily practical. Photo: Samsung -
Samsung's Galaxy S5 arrived in 2014 and came with a plastic back which didn't feel particularly advanced. However, the phone itself had a 5.1-inch screen which produced beautiful colours (for the time). The S5 had a heart-rate monitor, was water-proof and had a 16MP rear camera. Photo: Samsung -
There was a big change in store for the Samsung Galaxy series in 2015. It launched the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge at the same time. Photo: Samsung -
The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge was full metal and had two curved sides extending the screen. This was a big jump and a step ahead of Apple. Photo: Samsung -
Samsung's Galaxy S7 came in 2016 and incorporated Samsung Pay. The 2K screen resolution was impressive. The edge version offered a wraparound display. Photo: Samsung -
Both Samsung Galaxy S8 models had curved sides. A fingerprint button was moved to the back while a button on the side was introduced for voice assistant Bixby. Photo: Samsung -
The Samsung Galaxy S9 arrived in 2018 and had a much stronger battery than the S8. Otherwise, it was a very similar product. Photo: Samsung -
Samsung's Galaxy S10 was released in 2019 and came with a triple-camera system. It had a punch-hole camera on the front and an UltraSonic fingerprint sensor. Photo: Samsung -
Samsung's 6.2-inch Galaxy S20 was 2020's offering and there were two other versions — the 6.7-inch S20+ and the 6.9-inch S20 Ultra. The phones were 5G-enabled. The S20 and S20+ came with 64MP cameras while the S20 Ultra came with a 108MP camera. Photo: Samsung -
The Samsung Galaxy S21 series came with bigger batteries, advanced computing, greater energy efficiency, improved cameras and enhanced privacy features. Samsung added a stylus to the S21 Ultra — a first in the series. Photo: Samsung -
Samsung's Galaxy S22 was unveiled in February 2022, with the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra, the last of which featured a slot to hold the S Pen, the signature accessory of the Note series. Photo: Samsung -
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was first launched in 2011 with its big screen and stylus functionality. The series continued until the Note 20 in 2020, when the stylus was moved to the S series. Photo: Samsung -
The release of the Note 10 in 2019 marked the first time Samsung offered a Plus model of its Note. It had a 6.8-inch display. Photo: Samsung -
The Galaxy Z Flip came in March 2020 and was like turning back time, with phone makers having tried flip phones many years before. It uses a hybrid glass coating called an Infinity Flex Display. Pawan Singh / The National -
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold was first unveiled in March 2019. It opened out horizontally to create a 7.3-inch tablet-style screen. AFP
