Hackers use Banking Trojans to steal sensitive financial information. These Trojans can also intercept and modify transactions, allowing hackers to drain bank accounts or make unauthorized purchases.
BlackBerry cybersecurity researchers recently detected that the Coyote banking trojan has been actively attacking Windows users to steal login details.
Coyote is an advanced .NET Trojan horse focusing on Brazilian financial institutions, indicating the increasing cyber hazards in Latin America.
Named after its misuse of Squirrel malware, Coyote uses a unique process linked to legitimate open-source files contaminated with DLLs.
This loads the Trojan using Nim programming language to collect financial data and maintain itself in the system.
When this malware appeared in February 2024, it reflected the World Economic Forum’s findings on Latin America’s cybersecurity drawbacks, especially in governments and finance.
Moreover, researchers added that Coyote’s complex techniques underline threat actors’ changing strategies to expand the market in this region.
Due to the large file size, the Coyote Trojan which focuses on clients in Brazil is likely delivered through phishing links.
It has a complex infection chain includes Squirrel updates, DLL sideloading of a vulnerable Google Chrome DLL, and a Nim loader that runs the Trojan in-memory.
Before sending data to its C2 servers, it keeps watching window titles for specific targets. It can perform 24 tasks such as screenshots, displaying fake banking overlays, and keylogging.
Randomly choosing from several C2 domains, WatsonTCP is utilized by this Trojan.
Connections from Coyote banking Trojan to different C2 servers (Source – BlackBerry)
Besides this, the Coyote threat actor’s sophisticated Brazilian .NET banking Trojan has not yet been observed being sold on underground markets.
Coyote banking Trojan is a sophisticated .NET malware that targets financial institutions in Brazil and the Binance cryptocurrency exchange.
One of the ways it does this is by phishing with malicious domains or disguising its loader as a legitimate squirrel update packager.
In this respect, there’s an emerging threat in LATAM. This highlights the necessity for better security measures where advanced protection mechanisms are combined with user awareness campaigns.
To fight this growing threat and guard against the compromise of financial institutions’ reputations, it is important to adopt a multidimensional strategy that includes the integration of contemporary offerings and the development of cyber security and advanced defense mechanisms.
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Samsung announced two new foldables during its second Unpacked event of the year. One book-style foldable, and one flip phone. In this article, we’ll compare them, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. Do note that we’ve just started using both of these phones not long ago, so you’ll have to wait for our reviews for all the info. We’ll just compare them based on specs and initial impressions here.
This time around, Samsung didn’t really change a lot of things. That goes for their designs, and even quite a few internals. That’s something we’ll cover here, as we’ll do with a number of other aspects. Granted, these two phones are considerably different, but we’ll compare them here as they’re both coming from Samsung, both are foldable, and both are current-gen devices that launched at the same time. So… let’s get to it.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 & Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, respectively
– Screen size (main): 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display (120Hz, HDR10+, 2,600 nits) 6.7-inch Foldable LTPO AMOLED 2X (120Hz, HDR10+, 2,600 nits) – Screen Size (cover): 6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (120Hz, 1,600 nits) 3.4-inch Super AMOLED (120Hz) – Display resolution (main): 1856 x 2160 2640 x 1080 – Display resolution (cover): 968 x 2376 720 x 748 – SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy – RAM: 12GB (LPDDR5X) 12GB (LPDDR5X) – Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0) 256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0) – Rear cameras: 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom) 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV) – Front cameras: 4MP (under display, main display, f/1.8 aperture), 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture) 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture) – Battery: 4,400mAh 4,000mAh – Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (no charger) – Dimensions (unfolded): 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm – Dimensions (folded): 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm 85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9 mm – Weight: 239 grams 187 grams – Connectivity: 5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3 – Security: Side-facing fingerprint scanner – OS: Android 14 with One UI 6.1.1 – Price: $1,899+ $1,099+ – Buy: Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Samsung / Best Buy) Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Samsung / Best Buy)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Design
Both of these smartphones are still very similar when it comes to design. They look very similar to their predecessors and still have flat frames all around, which are slightly rounded towards the edges. The biggest change is the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s display width, as it’s much closer to a regular smartphone now when closed. Both of these phones are made out of metal and glass. When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is both taller and wider than a folded Galaxy Z Fold 5. When in a different state, it’s a completely different story, of course.
Now, in terms of weight… the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a lot lighter, of course. It’s a regular smartphone that folds into a tiny device, not a regular smartphone unfolding into a tablet. The display creases are still quite pronounced, not to the level of the competition. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a display camera hole on its main display, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has on its cover panel. Samsung once again uses an under-display camera on the main panel. The company also held onto the ‘folder’ cover display.
Physical buttons are located on the right-hand side of both smartphones. The power/lock key actually doubles as a fingerprint scanner on both devices. Both smartphones offer an IP48 rating for water and dust resistance. These two devices have considerably different form factors, and they’re aimed at different people, that’s for sure. They also feel entirely different to use. Both phones feel well-built, and premium, but you have to figure out which form factor suits you more.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Display
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display. That is an LTPO display, and it offers a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The resolution here is 1856 x 2160, and we’re looking at 374 ppi here. The cover display on the phone measures 6.3 inches, and it’s an HD+ (2376 x 968) panel. This is also a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, and it’s also an LTPO display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The ppi here is 410, and both panels are flat, of course.
The main display on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 measures 6.7 inches. That’s a fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. It’s flat, and it has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, this is also an LTPO panel. The cover display on the phone measures 3.4 inches, and that’s a Super AMOLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The resolution here is 748 x 720, while the PPI is 306. This panel is flat too.
All of these displays have one thing in common, they’re quite vivid. All of them are more than sharp enough for what they are, and while it would be nice for the cover panel on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 to have a higher refresh rate, 60Hz is fine. The display crease on the two foldable panels could be more minimal, that’s for sure. Samsung didn’t make major improvements in that regard, the competition is still ahead. The viewing angles on all panels are good, and so is the touch response. We’ll reserve our brightness comments for full reviews, we didn’t have a chance to use them in enough lighting scenarios just yet.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Performance
These two phones are completely on the same level this time around, power-wise. They’re both fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy SoC. That is an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In other words, they’re fueled by one of the most powerful mobile chips. Both smartphones have 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM this time around, and also UFS 4.0 flash storage. So… they’re entirely on the same playing field.
We only used both phones briefly thus far, as we’re working on our reviews. What we noticed is that both smartphones are very fluid, as you’d expect out of flagship devices. They offer the same level of fluidity even though they feel entirely different to use, of course. We did not really get into gaming just yet, but it shouldn’t be a problem for either device. We’ll talk more about that in our full review, of course.
In regards to general tasks, both smartphones do them without issue. Multitasking is a breeze, and the two phones open apps really fast, they’re basically leveled in that area too. We may spot some performance-related differences as we continue using the phones, though. So… stay tuned for our full reviews of both of these smartphones, which are coming in the near future.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 4,400mAh battery on the inside, the same as its predecessor. The Galaxy Z Flip 6, on the other hand, includes a 4,000mAh battery, a slightly larger pack than the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Granted, some Galaxy Z Fold 6 competitors have considerably larger battery packs, but we’ll see how this battery performs. It will all depend on how much you use the main display, of course. We only started using the phone, so that info will be revealed once our full reviews go out.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 did not exactly shine in the battery life department, the same goes for the Galaxy Z Flip 5. We’re expecting a small increase for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, at least based on the battery life increase. The Galaxy Z Fold 6, on the other hand, is a mystery at this point. We’ll have to wait and see, it’s way too early to share any numbers, but that phone could also deliver a small boost.
In regards to charging, neither phone offers improvements compared to their predecessors. Both devices support 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, or as Samsung calls it ‘Wireless Power Share’. Neither phone will charge particularly fast, and Samsung is expected to offer an improvement in this regard next year. We expected it this year, but that didn’t happen. On top of that, neither phone ships with a charger in the box.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Cameras
Both devices actually come with unchanged camera setups compared to last year’s models. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has three cameras on the back and one on each of the phone’s displays. Keep in mind that the one on the main display is an under-display camera, though. A 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.8 aperture, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) is backed by a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, 123-degree FoV). A 10–10-megapixel unit sits on the cover display, while a 4-megapixel under-display camera is included under the main panel.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, on the other hand, has a 50-megapixel main camera (f/2.2 aperture, OIS, 1.0um pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF) and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, 123-degree FoV). There is one camera on the phone’s main display. It is a 10-megapixel camera with a 1.22um pixel size and an 85-degree FoV.
We did notice some initial differences compared to their predecessors, despite the fact the camera hardware is the same, but we did not take that many pictures thus far. Don’t expect a huge difference, however. We’ll talk a lot more about the cameras in our separate full reviews of these two smartphones. Samsung is expected to boost camera hardware next year, considering that it didn’t happen this time around. There’s only so much that can be done via software.
Audio
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 offer stereo speakers. Samsung didn’t really talk about them or mention them, so we’re assuming they’re the same as in last year’s models. The audio coming from them fits, that’s for sure. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 speakers are louder, but the difference is not huge.
Neither of these two handsets includes an audio jack. You’ll have to use their Type-C ports in order to hook up your wired headphones. Alternatively, you can use Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity.
Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 series and the Galaxy AI suite. The latter includes a set of features powered by generative AI. Interestingly, the company seemed to forget about its own Bixby assistant, for which no Gen AI-based boost was mentioned. However, now Samsung has confirmed its plans in this regard, and they look promising.
Google, the pioneer of generative AI in commercial smartphones, has the Gemini assistant powered by its own LLMs. After Google, Samsung was the second phone manufacturer to make the biggest bet on the segment. The company even integrated the Gemini Nano model into its Galaxy S24 series before most Pixel phones (including the vanilla Pixel 8) received it. Many of the Galaxy AI features are inspired by those of the Pixel 8 series. However, the company left out a potential Gen AI-based improvement for Bixby from its announcements.
Bixby assistant will be revamped with Gen AI-based features and capabilities
The lack of news related to Bixby even made some think that Samsung would get rid of its assistant. However, things perked up in April when Won-Joon Choi, head of Samsung’s Flagship Product R&D Team, mentioned the possibility of giving Gen AI features to Bixby. Now it is TM Roh, president of Samsung Mobile, who confirms the company will revamp Bixby “with the application of Gen AI technology” later this year.
Roh did not reveal an exact date for the rollout of the improved assistant. However, he said that it will be powered by the company’s own LLMs. So, it seems that the new Bixby will not depend on the Google Gemini models. Instead, Samsung will take a similar path to Apple with Ajax or BBK companies (like OPPO and Oneplus) with AndesGPT. Samsung also confirmed that it will maintain an open approach where it will allow multiple assistants on its phones. This way, it will be the user who decides which one they want to use.
The company seems quite enthusiastic about its commitment to AI in all segments. In this regard, Roh said that Samsung is “reinforcing and bringing more AI capabilities” to all its product lines. Currently, it is unknown what improvements the Gen AI-powered Bixby assistant will bring. The current version is a kind of Google Assistant, but less capable. Samsung has a lot of work to do to make Bixby gain more interest among its broad user base.
Android 15 is adding support for Thread, a low-power mesh networking protocol specifically designed for Matter smart home devices. This opens the door to potentially seamless smart home experiences as Matter enables smart home devices to communicate with each other, regardless of brand. Matter doesn’t replace communication protocols like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi but acts as a universal language, standardizing the way devices talk to each other.Thread, with its mesh networking capabilities, offers unique advantages over traditional protocols. It is highly power efficient, a key benefit for battery-powered devices, and allows devices to relay signals and route data more efficiently. This results in a more reliable connection that is also easily scalable, addressing common issues in smart homes.
While Thread is not yet as widespread as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, its adoption is increasing. Major tech players are integrating Thread into their devices, with Google enabling certain TVs to function as Thread border routers, bridging Thread networks to Wi-Fi. Notably, Apple has already incorporated Thread radios into the iPhone 15 Pro models, demonstrating a commitment to this technology.
According to the findings, Android 15 will not only include support for the Thread network stack but also introduce a “Use Thread” toggle in its settings, as can be seen in the above images. This allows devices with Thread radios to communicate directly with other Thread network devices, bypassing the need for a separate Thread border router. This direct communication can enhance the speed and responsiveness of smart home actions, and even allow for local operation without internet access.
While the specific Android phones that will incorporate Thread radios are yet to be confirmed, the addition of Thread support in Android 15 marks a significant step towards greater interoperability and improved performance in smart homes. This could potentially revolutionize the way smart devices interact, fostering a more connected and seamless experience for users. I’m definitely looking forward to when I can incorporate more smart tech in my home without worrying about which ecosystem they are in.
It seems that Google is working on integrating Thread network support for Matter smart home ecosystems into Android 15. The option was recently discovered in an Android 15 beta. It will probably be ready for the update’s stable rollout.
The option was found by Mishaal Rahman of Android Authority in the Android 15 settings. It is not available by default, so Rahman had to “force” it to appear. Anyway, there will be a “Use Thread” option under the “Connection preferences” menu. Thread is basically a communication protocol designed for Matter-based product ecosystems.
Android TV OS 14 already supports Thread networks; phones are pending
It’s noteworthy that Android 14 already includes Thread support, but only on Android TV OS 14. According to the report, smartphones will start receiving it with the Android 15 update. That said, taking advantage of the Thread network will not only require Android 15 phones but also a Thread radio on the device. Currently, the only phones with a Thread radio are the iPhone 15 Pro series.
Matter and Thread are two different things. There may be Matter-supported devices incompatible with the Thread protocol. The latter basically helps boost the performance of your smart home device ecosystem. Thread enables faster and more agile connections and interactions between devices than Bluetooth and Wi-Fi protocols. However, you could set up a Matter-based network without needing Thread-supported devices.
In short, you can see the Matter standard as a common “language” in which your devices will communicate, and the Thread network as shorter paths between them. The current smart home market is fragmented among multiple platforms. There are devices designed for Google Home, Alexa, HomeKit, or SmartThings, for example. While some products are compatible with up to two of these platforms, there are also many that only support one.
Android 15’s Matter and Thread network support seek flawless smart home device interoperability
Matter seeks to solve the smart home fragmentation issue by overcoming interoperability limitations. All devices compatible with the standard should be able to interact with each other without problems. For example, you could manage an Alexa product from the Google Home app if both devices involved support Matter. Then, the experience will be even more agile and reliable if both devices also have Thread radios.
This year, Google announced that some new Google TVs would gain “Thread border router” capabilities. That is, they can act as the bridge between your Matter home ecosystem and your WiFi network to enable an internet connection. Once Thread network support is available on your Android 15 compatible phone, you will not need the “border router TV” to improve your Matter home ecosystem.
The real impact will probably take a few years
The goal is to achieve perfect interoperability between all your devices. Things are just getting started, so it will probably take years to see a significant impact. Currently, it is not even known which will be the first Android device to include Thread radios. However, in the not-so-distant future, you will no longer suffer headaches while looking for new smart home devices.
With Unpacked now done and dusted, Samsung’s promotional game has begun. The company has released a series of YouTube videos promoting its new products. From introductory videos to unboxing and feature highlights, these videos hype up the newly launched Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Galaxy Buds 3, and Galaxy Ring, all of which are available for pre-order.
Samsung released promotional videos for its new foldables and watches
Over the past two days, Samsung published dozens of short and long videos on its official YouTube channel. It made four introductory videos for its new products launched at Unpacked on Wednesday. The first video makes us familiar with the foldable duo, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. It focuses on the improved Circle to Search, enhanced multitasking, powerful chipset, hands-free selfies, cover screen improvements, AI-powered Note Assist, and IP48 rating.
Samsung made a similar video for the Galaxy Watch Ultra, its first-ever Ultra smartwatch. Powered by its first 3nm chipset, the Exynos W1000, with a massive 590mAh battery, the watch is a powerhouse on your wrist. It is tough, durable, feature-rich, and “built to go the distance.” The Korean firm has also introduced several new health features, which are available on the Galaxy Watch 7 as well. Older models will get compatible features with the Wear OS-based One UI 6 Watch update.
The Galaxy Ring, the smallest product Samsung launched at Unpacked in Paris, attracted one of the loudest cheers at the event. Priced at $399, it is an expensive piece of tech, but an equally remarkable engineering marvel. The tiny titanium ring that you can wear on your finger boasts comprehensive health monitoring capabilities. Its official introductory video makes us familiar with its health features, functions, durability, battery life, and more.
After years of making wireless earbuds, Samsung redesigned the buds this year. The Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro feature a stemmed design popularized by Apple’s AirPods. However, instead of a rounded stem, the Korean firm made it angular. It also added what it calls blade lights to the step. It’s an LED strip that lights up during charging and media playback. The new earbuds boast AI features and offer improved sound quality and audio clarity.
Watch Samsung unbox the new devices
Samsung also made unboxing videos for its new products. As expected, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 come in minimalist boxes containing the phone, a SIM ejector, a USB cable, and some paperwork. Well, it’s a similar unboxing experience with all the devices. The Galaxy Ring is a completely new product, so it feels slightly different. Otherwise, it is a standard Samsung stuff. We have embedded all five unboxing videos below.
You can also manage your T-Mobile account using the T Life app including the ability to add a line, change your plan, make a payment, get the status of your EIP (Equipment Installment Plan), track your data usage, and manage your T-Mobile home internet plan. It can also be used to set up SyncUP KIDS smartwatches. But there is an issue with the app.
One T-Mobile subscriber’s T Life app attempted to send him over 54,000 ads in 24 hours
A photo posted on Reddit of the T Life app monitored by the AdGuard app shows that in the space of 24 hours, T Life tried to push out over 54,000 ads and 187 tracker requests to the specific T Life user. The ads and trackers were blocked by AdGuard.
“The T Life app is straight up trash….this app is just meant to push a bunch of bullshit onto the customers. T-Mobile is in full vampiric revenue mode right now trying to pinch pennies and suck blood out of turnips everywhere they can.”-Reddit user Tree_of_Woes
One Reddit user said that the number of ads is so high because when the ads, metrics, and analytics APIs are blocked by AdGuard and can’t reach their destinations, requests continue to be sent out like a brute force attack. The problem is that the constant attempts to block ads and trackers that follow the user around the internet could drain the battery on a T Life user’s phone and tie up some of the device’s resources.
“You’re seeing those numbers so high because the advertising, metrics, and analytics APIs that are being blocked don’t throttle their behavior when they can’t reach their destination, so they just hammer out requests constantly to try and break through…which is also terrible in design, and leads to the second problem. This behavior ends up draining your battery and unnecessarily using resources. Especially when there are valid scenarios outside of adblocking/metric blocking where these APIs may not be able to communicate (say corporate, airplane, high-security, etc wifi that might severely limit access) and should never hammer requests.
But also, apps: don’t be shitty. Few of us care about your perceived value in hidden metrics, instrumentation, and ads that use our data and our battery power.
T-Mobile specifically, you’re a paid service, you should be doing zero of this.”-Reddit user ChainsawBologna
It appears from the shared image that Airship (formerly Urban Airship) is the company behind the 187 tracker requests that the T Life had blocked. Airship is a mobile engagement company that uses push notifications, in-app messaging, email, and SMS to send personalized and targeted messages that attempt to reach customers on their mobile devices.
Samsung introduced its latest foldable smartphones – the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 – at its Unpacked 2024 event yesterday. In addition, the company also took the wraps of the Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Watch 7, and Watch Ultra wearables, apart from the Buds 3 series. The South Korean tech giant didn’t introduce the Galaxy Tab S10 series of flagship Android tablets at the Unpacked event.
However, Samsung did reveal that the new flagship slates are indeed in the pipeline. On the sidelines of the Unpacked 2024 event, a Samsung executive shed some light on the Galaxy Tab S10 series. The new slates will be the successors to the Galaxy Tab S9 series, launched in April last year.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 series flagship tablets will be available before the end of 2024
According to the source, a Samsung South Africa representative said that “there will be a Tab S10 series”. Unfortunately, the executive couldn’t offer more details about the new Samsung slates. However, the representative did confirm that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 series devices would be “available before the end of 2024”. There’s a possibility that Samsung may unveil the Tab S10 series alongside the Galaxy S24 FE in September or October. Only time will tell.
The Tab S10 series may come only in Plus and Ultra models
If the reports from the rumor mill are to be believed, the Galaxy Tab S10 series may come only in Plus and Ultra models. The last two generations of the S series flagship tablets from Samsung have come in three modes – base, plus, and Ultra. However, the company is said to be returning to a dual-variant lineup with the Tab S10 series this year.
Last month, we gave you an exclusive first look at the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra model in collaboration with OnLeaks. The slate is expected to flaunt a 14.6-inch display and a slim waistline, just like the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. As for the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus variant, it could be offered with a smaller 12.4-inch screen. We can expect more details about the new slates to emerge soon, so stay tuned.
Yesterday, Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 as its latest foldable phones. While they are solid products, they don’t change much from previous models. During the event, the president of Samsung Electronics revealed an estimate of how many Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 they expect to sell. His response reflected expectations of growth, although somewhat discreet.
Regarding the potential sales of Samsung’s new generation of foldables, Roh Tae-Moon said that “it is difficult to estimate the exact sales figure.” However, the executive revealed that the company hopes “to sell 10 percent more of new products compared to the previous model released last year.” So, while Samsung expects to sell more Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 units, its analysis does not project excessive figures.
Samsung’s foldables have lost a lot of market share
Roh’s response is in line with the latest foldable phone market analysis. In May, a report from Counterpoint Research revealed that Samsung is losing market share in the segment at a rapid pace. More specifically, the South Korean giant went from having a share of 58% in the first quarter of 2023 to 23% in the first quarter of 2024. This is due to multiple reasons, among which is the growing competition in the segment.
The current foldable phone market offers more and more options in multiple price segments. This has probably caused fans of this type of device to try other brands. Additionally, Samsung has been conservative about improvements to its foldable devices. Lately, each new device generation includes minimal improvements. Meanwhile, products from other brands (especially Chinese brands) strive to include innovative and exclusive features.
Other brands have grown significantly
During the same period analyzed (Q1 2023–Q1 2024), brands such as Huawei, Honor, and Motorola experienced notable growth in foldable phone market share. They went from 14% to 35%, 3% to 12%, and 1% to 11%, respectively. That said, Samsung is not preoccupied by the situation. Roh said the growth of other brands “is positive for consumers as they benefit from a more competitive market.”
Perhaps it is time for Samsung to bet on innovation in future launches to reverse the trend. Their latest foldable devices have even reused some components for years. For instance, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 uses the same camera sensors as the Z Fold 5 and 4. However, the company has improved the quality by tweaking the image processing software. They have also been stuck in terms of fast charging, like the Galaxy S devices.
Yesterday, Samsung introduced its latest foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, at its Unpacked 2024 event. While the Z Fold 6 gets a slightly bigger outer display, the Z Flip 6 retains the same 3.4-inch cover screen found on its predecessor. Besides some new widgets and Galaxy AI features, Samsung didn’t make any major upgrades to Z Flip 6’s outer screen this year.
However, the South Korean tech giant will soon be adding support for two popular email applications. During a press briefing before the Unpacked event (via 9to5Google), Samsung revealed that the Z Flip 6’s cover display will support the Gmail app.
Samsung is adding support for the Gmail app on the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s cover display
According to the source, Samsung representatives revealed that the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s cover display will soon support the Gmail app. Apart from Gmail, the phone’s Flex Window will also support Microsoft’s Outlook app. Unfortunately, the representatives didn’t reveal when exactly the updated versions of these apps with support for the cover screen will arrive.
The 3.4-inch cover screen of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 doesn’t provide much estate to work with. However, the official Gmail and Outlook support will certainly provide quick access to your inboxes, without having to flip open the phone. We can be hopeful that the updated email apps will also have support for the Flex Window of the Z Flip 5.
Currently, users can run any third-party app like Gmail directly on the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover display using Good Lock. However, these apps offer a sub-par experience due to UI scaling and other issues. It won’t be the case with the Gmail and Outlook apps once they get support from Google and Microsoft later this year.
Galaxy Z Flip 6 is available to pre-order, pricing starts at $1,099
Samsung has started taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The phone is up for grabs for $1,099 for the 256GB storage variant. The 512GB model, on the other hand, will set you back by $1,219. The handset is offered in four color variants – Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue and Mint.
The company is also offering three more color models including Crafted Black, Peach and White, exclusively on its website. Samsung will start shipping the Galaxy Z Flip 6 on July 24.
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