Phones
Samsung could reduce Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 price by $75 (₩100,000)
Samsung is preparing to hold its next Unpacked event in late July to unveil foldable phones. No doubt, both are going to be pricey phones, but Samsung may slap a $75 (₩100,000) price reduction on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 this year.
According to rumor, Samsung could reduce the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 price by $75 (₩100,000). The lineup is expected to get unveiled in the fourth week of July this year, while the price reduction probably happening because of application processor costs.
Tipster @Tech_Reve claims that the application processor accounts for about 10-20% of the total cost depending on the product. The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s application processor’s cost was $140, while the typical price for premium APs is usually around $80.
Compared to the first quarter of last year, the South Korean tech giant’s expenditure on APs saw a 20% decline in prices in the same duration this year. This would result in a price cut for both upcoming foldable phones, making them more accessible.
There is a possibility that the launch price of Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5, which will be unveiled at the end of July, will be reduced by about ₩100,000 compared to their predecessors.
As a background for such possible price reduction, one can mention the decrease AP
— Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) May 25, 2023
Recently, it was reported that the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s droplet (waterdrop) hinge mold will be shared with Samsung within a week. Accordingly, the company will begin the internal durability testing to greenlit the mass production of products prior to release.
Samsung is pushing for a plan to hold the next Galaxy Unpacked event to unveil its Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 foldable phones at COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on July 26. Notably, it’s going to be the first foldable phone Unpacked to be held in Korea.
Phones
Google Pixel 8a 5G launched to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy S23 FE
Google just unveiled the Pixel 8a 5G smartphone to compete with Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. The new smartphone features a durable battery, the brand-new Tensor G3 chip from Google, long-lasting software support, and more.
Google Pixel 8a Specifications
The Pixel 8a smartphone sports a 6.1-inch Actua OLED screen with a high resolution (1080 x 2400 pixels) and brightness (up to 2,000 nits), featuring a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
With 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage options, the Pixel 8a is powered by Google’s Tensor G3 processor. The smartphone includes a 4492mAh battery, supports fast charging, and offers wireless charging. However, it lacks the Pixel 8 series’ wireless powershare feature.
On the back, there is an impressive camera module that includes a 64-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera. It also features a 13MP front camera for selfies.
Google promises seven years of software updates for the device, which is more than what’s offered for the Galaxy S23 FE. It comes preinstalled with Android 14. It also includes advanced security features to protect against malware and phishing.
Moreover, the smartphone supports a Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Magnetometer, Barometer, Face Unlock, and Fingerprint Unlock. It is IP67-certified for dust and water resistance, as well as uses 24% recycled materials.
Availability and Price
Google Pixel 8a is offered in Aloe, Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian colors. It comes in two storage variants, 128GB and 256GB. The prices are as follows:
- For the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option, the cost is $499, £499, €549, or INR 52,999.
- The 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant is priced at $559, £559, or €609.
Colorful. Powerful. AI-full. #Pixel8a is a smarter phone, at a great price.
Designed with Google AI and a best-in-class camera:
👌Best Take*
🧠Gemini*
🔎Circle to Search*
📞Call Assist*
🗣Live Translate*
🔇Audio Magic Eraser**See video & pre-order now: https://t.co/GWfCo6ayOn pic.twitter.com/rbNNCudqib
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) May 7, 2024
Phones
LG Innotek struggles to gain ground in Samsung smartphone CoF
LG Innotek is supplying CoF for budget and mid-range Samsung smartphones this year. Despite the CoF supply chain formed by the Korean govt., Stemco still has the upper hand in overall volume and model-specific volume in the Samsung CoF market.
TheElec notes that LG Innotek is not making progress in Samsung smartphones’ CoF (chip-on-film) market. Back in 2021, Korean govt formed a local CoF supply chain, but Japan’s Stemco still has an edge over LG Innotek in the Samsung smartphone CoF market.
As of 2024, LG Innotek and PI Advanced Materials are still supplying CoF and related materials for Samsung’s affordable phones like the Galaxy A5 series. Pay attention, the lower lineup of the Galaxy A series and Galaxy M series uses the CoG method, mounting chips on glass substrates.
LG Innotek’s CoF production line operation rate is expected to reach around 70% this year. Beyond Samsung, LG Innotek supplies smartphone CoFs to Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Notably, G Innotek’s revenue was 20.6 trillion won last year.
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Phones
US Galaxy Z Flip 6 w/ Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 scores fiery performance
Benchmark listing confirms Samsung will fuel the US Galaxy Z Flip 6 with a Snapdragon chipset. The device has benchmarked on Geekbench, scoring sizing points in single-core and multi-core tests. Interestingly, the Flip phone features 12GB of RAM, which is a big upgrade.
As spotted by CID/X, the US variant of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 will feature up to 12GB RAM and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor. While the listing doesn’t mention the phone’s marketing name, Samsung’s modeling strategy says SM-F741U is the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Earlier, the same product surfaced on Geekbench’s graphics processing unit test. The device reached the same performance as the Galaxy S24 Ultra despite lacking such larger cooling tech. As far as the CPU performance is concerned, the Z Flip 6 scored:
- 1794 in single-core
- 4486 in multi-core
BREAKING‼️
US Galaxy Z Flip6 (SM-F741U) spotted on GeekBench with 12GB RAM
Single-core 1794
Multi-core 4486You saw it here first 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/kbG6w0k1wb
— CID (@theonecid) May 7, 2024
Samsung is expected to hold its next Unpacked event in Paris right before the 2024 Olympics kicks off. The tentative date is July 10, when the company will introduce Galaxy Z Flip 6, Z Fold 6, and Z Fold 6 Ultra. More products including the Watch 7 series and Galaxy Ring are expected.
As the company still has around two months to unveil, there will be further performance improvements. Global consumers might be disappointed as the Exynos is expected to power some units. It might harm some sales but Samsung has to do it to maintain the cost-cutting.
Stay up-to-date on Samsung Galaxy, One UI & Tech Stuffs by following Sammy Fans on X/Twitter. You can also discover the latest news, polls, reviews, and new features for Samsung & Google Apps, Galaxy Phones, and the One UI/Android operating system.
Do you like this post? Kindly, let us know on X/Twitter: we love hearing your feedback! If you prefer using other social platforms besides X, follow/join us on Google News, Facebook, and Telegram.