Samsung launches Flip 5 & Fold 5 for KES 193,000 & KES 325,000

After much anticipation, Samsung Flip 5 and Fold 5 are finally live. The company today revealed its lineup of new devices during the second Galaxy Unpacked event of 2023. The event, hosted in South Korea, featured updates to its foldable phones, Galaxy watches, and tablets.

Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Galaxy Z Flip 5, the new star of Samsung’s market-leading Flip series, was launched with notable improvements. The foldable phone now boasts a larger 3.4-inch cover display, reminiscent of the Moto Razr Plus, stretching from the device’s hinge to its dual cameras.

This new-generation flip phone also brings an upgraded Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a hinge upgrade that allows it to fold completely flat. Despite the larger cover screen and significant updates, the phone retains its predecessor’s price tag, coming in at $999.

Galaxy Z Fold 5

The Galaxy Z Fold 5, the tech giant’s pioneering phone-tablet hybrid, wasn’t left out of the upgrades. Like its flip counterpart, the Z Fold 5 is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and an improved hinge design that allows the device to fold flat, making it significantly thinner than its predecessor.

The 7.6-inch inner screen received a brightness boost, now glowing at 1,750 nits. The Z Fold 5, despite the minor tweaks, comes with a hefty price tag of $1,799. The introduction of Google’s Pixel Fold into the market adds competition to Samsung, making the Z Fold 5 critical to maintaining dominance in the smartphone industry.

Galaxy Tab S9 Series

The Galaxy Unpacked event also marked the introduction of the Tab S9 series. These new tablets, resistant to water, are among the first of their kind. All models in the Tab S9 series, which include the Tab S9, S9+ and S9 Ultra, come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, AMOLED displays, stylus support, and 5G options. The tablets vary in size, ranging from 11 inches to a whopping 14.6 inches for the S9 Ultra. Prices for the Tab S9 series start at $799.99.

Galaxy Watch 6

The Galaxy Watch line also got an upgrade with faster chips, more memory, and larger batteries. The Galaxy Watch 6 comes in four different sizes, each with 20% larger displays. Samsung reintroduced the popular physical rotating bezel on the Classic versions. The Watch 6 prices start from $300, depending on the model and size.

Availability and Price in Kenya

Thanks to a weak shilling and taxation, prices of the Samsung Fold 5 and Flip 5 in Kenya will be much higher than ever before. These are the currently announced costs by Samsung Kenya:

• Flip 5- KES 193,000
• Fold 5 – KES 325,000

It will be interesting to see how Kenyans buy the new devices. Because at those prices, very few Kenyans – in such tough economic times – will be willing to spend such large amounts.

Preorders begin tomorrow and will run for 3 weeks. The company says they’ve already received 70 bookings for the new foldables locally.

The newly launched devices by Samsung once again underscore the tech giant’s commitment to innovation, bringing the future of technology to the present day. Despite the competition, the company continues to push boundaries and set new standards in the tech industry.