• RENDEZVOUS
Samsung, with the release of its revolutionary foldable technology and external design, has indeed left the smartphone market in awe. With the fifth generation of Samsung Galaxy Flip and Galaxy Fold models set to launch around the end of July, tech enthusiasts are eager to experience what the new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 will have to offer. Sangay Sherpa from The Himalayan Times met with Managing Director of Samsung Electronics for Nepal, Sung June Park, to gain his insights regarding the company's experience in launching the foldables in the domestic market, and the brand's future expansion plans for the country. Excerpts:
We have seen great improvements in smartphone technology over the last few years, especially with foldables. Please share your experience in launching the foldables in a market like Nepal.
Samsung's endeavour as a global corporation across the world, including the Nepali market, has always been to introduce technologies that can cater to the needs of the general population. The corporation takes pride in the fact that we can provide a range of products across various segments ranging from the affordable class to our more flagship premium segment.
With that said, we can all agree that there hasn't been much excitement in terms of the external design of smartphones in the market as their main purpose is related to communication or data consumption.
With the introduction of Samsung's latest innovation in foldable technology for our smartphone segment, the flexible display properties that have been coming into the market are certainly a revolution.
The technology was initially started in 2011. With over a decade of experience, Samsung has now mastered the art of foldable display. The main element of the foldable display is not just limited to introducing new technology but using it for the benefit of users. While the use of tablets is prevalent in the market for their wide display and work convenience aspects, the usage is still significantly low compared to smartphones due to portability issues.
People use tablets at home or the office but when it comes to carrying them, it becomes a hassle. With the introduction of our foldable display technology, Samsung has fixed that problem allowing users to experience their smartphone from the multitasking and wide display aspect of a tablet in a folded phone.
What are the benefits of a foldable device? How is the experience different from using a conventional smartphone?
Samsung has been able to cater to a wide range of users in terms of larger display usage experience and portability. Our foldable tech consists of three screen components and is included in both our fold and flip smartphone models, which is a revolutionary change in the smartphone sector as a whole.
There are also many aspects that the users can benefit from using our foldable technology. Our flex mode allows users to fold their phone based on their needs at the time of usage, providing a whole different experience. Our foldable smartphone also goes well with our S Pen, which allows the users to fully communicate with their device remotely. The flex mode capability can also provide more convenient usage in terms of multitasking.
Although various brands have discussed improving the multitasking capabilities in mobile devices, the experience has not been up to par when it comes to a tablet-size foldable phone that Samsung has introduced.
Samsung has two variants of foldables - Galaxy Flip and Galaxy Fold. How do the consumers decide which foldable device is suitable for them?
Our fold and flip smartphones use the same foldable display technology. Their prospects in catering to the different needs of the users are one of the reasons for launching these products simultaneously in the market. While our flip model is targeted at users who are self-expressionists and who want to have a device that can help to express themselves, our fold models are more targeted towards users who seek to be productive and use their device for work or to complete their daily tasks.
Although the targeted approach is based on the needs of the consumers, the fundamentals of the two models in the sense of multitasking, and flex mode aspects are aligned together.
Foldable phones are pretty expensive. What are your plans to make it affordable for the Nepali market?
First of all, we must understand that our foldable products are comprised of three different display components, which certainly contribute to their prices.
Having said that, we are also coming up with new ways to help consumers to have a more affordable mode of payment for acquiring our products. In coordination with Hulas Finance Ltd, we have recently launched a financing programme that will provide equated monthly instalment (EMI) for purchasing our product, thereby removing the existing hassles faced by consumers. The programme is not limited to our premium products but for all of our segments above Rs 25,000.
Samsung has been a leader in the foldable phone market since it launched the Galaxy Fold in 2019. Tech enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the unveiling of Samsung's fifth-gen foldable phones in July. What can we expect?
It will be difficult for me to reveal all of the new things that we have under our belt. Rigorous feedback from consumers and analysing them has helped us to come up with new products that can provide a dynamic user experience. We carry out the same practice more attentively for our foldable models as it is a tech that only Samsung has been able to provide on a mass scale. While other brands have tried to create similar models as a prototype and for commercialisation purposes, they have not been able to massively roll them out, mainly due to manufacturing limitations. However, Samsung with its state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities is ready to do this.
As we look to roll out our fifth-generation models, we have incorporated many new exciting features in the new models which were suggested through multiple feedbacks collected from customers. In addition, the exciting changes are not just limited to the software aspect but also in terms of other factors and I think we will be very surprised to see the next generation.
So far, Samsung was in the evolving stages of our foldable technology but now with the release of our fifth-generation models, we can proudly say that we have now mastered the production of foldable phones. Users who have already been using our earlier generations of foldable models will certainly experience the difference in the latest models and will also find that Samsung has added new features that were felt missing in the previous models.
Samsung has inaugurated its television factory in Nawalparasi. Are there any plans to set up a mobile phone factory as well?
This particular subject is very much being discussed not only within the Samsung corporate but also with the government and the manufacturing sector within Nepal. At the same time, we are regularly looking into the feasibility of expanding our products. Having said so, this year's priority is to stabilise and mobilise our TV factory to be fully operational. We have already opened the factory through an inauguration event, which is a milestone for an electric brand to be setting up a factory inside the country. We are looking to stabilise the manufacturing process in the initial year and will be looking into expanding into other products such as our mobile devices. But doing so is not only about setting up a factory and manufacturing equipment but also requires support from the industrial sector as well as the government.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 22, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
