Samsung Unveils New Foldable Smartphone In Surprise Ad During The Oscars

Samsung Electronics, the world’s top smartphone maker, gave a glimpse of a new square-shaped foldable handset in a surprise television commercial that aired during the Academy Awards on Sunday in the United States.

The advertisement, broadcast only in the US, comes two days before the South Korean company’s Galaxy Z Flip smartphone, which opens and closes vertically like old flip phones, is expected to be unveiled at an event in San Francisco.

While there were many shots of the smartphones, which come in purple and black, there were few other details.

The new handset, however, is expected to be less expensive than the US$1,980 Galaxy Fold, which opens like a book and was launched in September last year.

Production on the Galaxy Fold was delayed by several months because of problems with its screens.

“The new Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone will create a halo effect for Samsung’s brand and help it better compete with Apple’s pricey models,” said Tom Kang, an analyst at research firm Counterpoint.

Kang indicated that Samsung had taken the lead in foldable smartphones at a time when Chinese Android handset rivals looked set to leap into the nascent market segment.