Main financial assets discussed: Samsung (OTCPK:SSNLF), Qualcomm (QCOM), Motorola (MSI), Google (GOOG, GOOGL)
Top 3 key points:
1. Samsung has unveiled the latest iterations of its foldable phones, the Z Fold5 and the Z Flip5, with improvements in design and performance.
2. The new hinge design and larger external display on the Flip5 contribute to improved usability and competitiveness in the foldable phone market.
3. The developments in foldable technology, along with increased competition, are making foldables more mainstream and poised for significant growth in the market.
Recommended actions: **Buy** Samsung, Qualcomm, Motorola, and Google stocks as the developments in foldable technology and increased competition are expected to drive growth in the market.
The main topic of the article is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and its position in the foldable smartphone market.
Key points include:
- The growth of the foldable smartphone market, with foldable shipments increasing 64% year-on-year in Q1 2023.
- The increasing competition in the foldable smartphone market, with more companies releasing their own foldable devices.
- The appeal of the Galaxy Z Fold 5's large screen and improved hardware, including a thinner design and upgraded chip.
- The trade-offs of the form factor, such as the device's size and narrow external screen.
- The improvements in battery life, camera performance, and software experience.
- The high price of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the potential impact of competition on pricing.
Main topic: Samsung's latest slate of Galaxy devices and their pre-order offers.
Key points:
1. Pre-ordering the Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers double the storage (256GB to 512GB) and a $200 Amazon gift card at no extra cost.
2. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has received positive reviews, but Samsung could do more with the foldable format.
3. Pre-ordering the Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers 512GB of storage and a $150 Amazon gift card. The device has a larger and more useful external display compared to previous models.
Main topic: Review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable phone
Key points:
1. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 features a 3.4-inch external display, which is an improvement over its predecessor.
2. The phone has a new hinge that allows for gapless closure when folded.
3. The Flip 5 has similar cameras, water-resistance rating, and battery size as its predecessor, but comes with twice the base storage.
Google is likely to introduce a new review process for foldable phone OEM makers to ensure a high level of quality among foldable devices. The process would involve a questionnaire and sending sample devices, with the requirement for foldables to last at least 200,000 folds and unfolds. Additionally, OEMs would need to provide at least two major OS updates and three years of security updates.
Xiaomi has announced the Mix Fold 3, a new foldable phone for the Chinese market. Key points about the device include:
1. The Mix Fold 3 has a 6.56-inch cover screen and a larger 8.03-inch foldable screen.
2. It features Leica-powered rear cameras with multiple focal lengths, including two telephoto lenses.
3. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and has up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It also has a 4800mAh battery with fast wired and wireless charging.
Please note that this information is specific to the Chinese market and there is no word on a global launch yet.
The main topic of the article is the author's experience with the Google Pixel Fold foldable phone.
Key points:
1. The author praises Google's implementation of multitasking and the big-screen layout.
2. The author highlights the unique usage pattern of using the phone mostly closed, thanks to the outer screen.
3. The author appreciates the camera quality and image processing of the Pixel Fold but criticizes the battery life and screen brightness.
The main topic is a comparison between the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr Plus, two flip-style foldable phones.
Key points:
1. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers a powerful Snapdragon chipset, a big cover screen, and a refined design with a new hinge.
2. The Motorola Razr Plus has a large cover display, fast main and cover screens, and a unique design that feels like having two phones in one.
3. Both phones have their strengths and weaknesses in terms of design, hardware, software, cameras, and overall user experience, but the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is considered slightly better overall.
The main topic is the rumored camera upgrade for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 prototype.
Key points:
1. The prototype is said to have a 50MP primary camera sensor.
2. The Flip series, including the Flip 5, is Samsung's most popular foldable, accounting for 70% of its global sales.
3. The Flip 5 features a 3.4-inch external display and a 6.7-inch internal display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Samsung is interested in creating a foldable tablet and laptop. The company sees the tablet as a good product category for the foldable format. Samsung is investing resources into developing a thin, light, and strong foldable tablet. The company is also considering a foldable laptop in the future.
The main topic is Samsung's software updates for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip.
1. The updates are over 300MB each and fix 74 security vulnerabilities.
2. Samsung demonstrates its commitment to timely software updates.
3. Samsung is known for delivering updates ahead of schedule, making Google look bad in comparison.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is now $300 off, Motorola's razr+ is $900, and Philips Hue smart lights start at $15 in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
The Honor Magic V2, a foldable phone with impressive specifications, will be launched globally in Q1 2024, six months after the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, making it difficult for Honor to compete with Samsung's discounts, software updates, and brand recognition.
Samsung and designer Thom Browne have unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold5 Thom Browne Edition, a limited edition smartphone that combines cutting-edge technology with iconic design elements, including black pebble leather, Thom Browne's signature stripes, and gold accents. The package also includes exclusive accessories and a specially crafted Galaxy Watch6 Thom Browne Edition, with both items available in limited quantities starting on September 12, 2023.
Samsung has started rolling out the One UI 5.1.1 update to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in the US, bringing in new features such as app switching, Flex Mode enhancements, Quick Share improvements, better sleep tracking in Samsung Health, and more.
Samsung has registered the names Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 for its future book-style foldable phones, while other companies such as Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo are also expanding their presence in the foldable market; however, Apple does not seem to be considering foldable devices at the moment.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a premium foldable phone with a compact design, improved hinge, and larger cover display, making it an attractive option for those interested in the clamshell foldable form, but it does come with compromises in terms of battery life, camera quality, and inconvenience in unfolding the phone.
Samsung has released the September 2023 security update for its latest foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, in Europe, fixing over 60 security vulnerabilities.
The article compares the iPhone 15 to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, highlighting their specifications, displays, cameras, prices, and overall value, ultimately concluding that the best smartphone choice depends on personal preferences and needs.
Samsung has released the W24 and W24 Flip as more luxurious alternatives to the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Galaxy Z Flip5, featuring increased RAM, storage, and ceramic back panels.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 offers a dual-screen experience, powerful hardware, versatile software, and a great camera system, making it a worthwhile purchase, especially considering the current sale price.
### Summary
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is currently on sale with a $1,320 discount, making it more affordable for those interested in the best foldable phone, but the sale ends tonight.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 are the fastest and smoothest Samsung phones in 2023, while the Galaxy S23, S23+, and Z Flip 5 are also great options for those looking for smaller and/or cheaper phones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
Samsung is expecting to ship over 10 million foldable phones, including the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, which could sell 8-10% higher than their predecessors, while also planning an early launch of the Galaxy S24 series in response to strong demand for the iPhone 15 series.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is available at different prices worldwide, with South Korea being the cheapest country to purchase it, while Mexico is the most expensive.
iPhone users may not fully understand the features and benefits they are missing out on until they try a late-model Android flagship device like the Google Pixel Fold, as Apple's innovations have stagnated compared to its competitors.
Google's latest Pixel Buds app update hints at the development of a new foldable device called "Comet," raising speculation that it could be either a Pixel Fold 2 or a Pixel Flip to rival Samsung's foldable styles.
OnePlus is set to launch its first foldable phone, the OnePlus Open, which features a tight and secure gapless hinge, a durable design capable of withstanding more folds than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and has the potential to compete with Samsung in the foldable market.
Google has set trade-in value limits for its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones, with trade-ins of older Pixel phones or iPhones getting higher values than other devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or the OnePlus 10 Pro.
India's online shopping platforms Amazon and Flipkart are currently running sales events, offering significant discounts on Samsung's latest foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5, with discounts of up to INR 17,000, making it an ideal time to purchase these devices.
Samsung has released the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 beta update for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in India and the US, making it the first foldable phone from Samsung to receive the update.
Samsung has made the One UI 6 beta, based on Android 14, available for the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Galaxy Z Flip5 foldable smartphones.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 have finally received the One UI 6 beta, with the Fold 5 beta being rolled out in the US and India, and it is expected that other devices in Samsung's foldable lineup will follow suit soon.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has launched the One UI 6.0 beta program in select markets, including the UK, and is expected to release the public build before the end of the year.
The OnePlus Open, a foldable phone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, is rumored to cost $1,699 in the US, making it cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold, and it is expected to launch in Europe excluding Germany, featuring a 7.8-inch OLED folding display, a Hasselblad-tuned camera system, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal storage.
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event offers a record-low price on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, with a 25% discount bringing the price down to $1,400, and also features the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 at an all-time low of $800, making it an affordable option for those seeking new foldable devices.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, with an impressive foldable design and massive internal storage, is available for a discounted price of $920 during Prime Big Deal Days, making it a great deal for those looking to own a foldable phone.
The upcoming OnePlus Open foldable phone may surpass the Google Pixel Fold as the thinnest foldable available in North America, potentially challenging Google's marketing campaign.
Allstate Protection Plans conducted a breakability test on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Pixel Fold, revealing that the foldable phones, particularly the Galaxy Z Fold 5, demonstrated comparable durability to traditional smartphones and even outperformed the iPhone 15 Pro Max in certain aspects.
Google's claim that the Pixel Fold is the thinnest foldable may be invalid as OnePlus is set to release the OnePlus Open, marketed as the thinnest foldable in North America, indicating that it will be thinner than the Pixel Fold.
