What you need to know
- Samsung announced during IFA 2023 that its Flip 5 and Fold 5 annual sales have beaten that of the Note series in Europe.
- The company was aware of its foldables' rising popularity as TM Roh stated the devices were nearly "on par" with its Note series.
- The Flip 5 and Fold 5's pre-order sales shattered records in South Korea, with the brand selling 1.02 million units.
Samsung's presence at the IFA 2023 event came with a bit of good news in the foldable department for the brand — and the region.
As reported by Android Police, during Samsung's keynote speech at the event, the brand stated that interest in the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 has exceeded that of its older Note series. "Our latest foldable phones are selling super fast. In fact, the annual sales of our foldable devices have exceeded those of the Note series in Europe," says Benjamin Braun, Samsung's chief marketing officer in Europe.
This milestone appears to have been an outcome Samsung was at least estimating it could possibly attain. The publication cites CNET, which held an interview with Samsung's chief of mobile, TM Roh, during its July Unpacked event.
TM Roh stated, "As we speak, they are almost on par," in regard to the brand's foldables approaching popularity akin to the past Note series.
While Samsung spoke primarily about the Flip 5 and Fold 5's sales in Europe, the company did not provide concrete numbers to back up its accomplishment. The brand also did not state whether or not this feat was made globally, either.
The Note 20 Ultra was Samsung's final entry in the Note series, to the dismay of many fans of the stylus-bearing phones. Devices in that series were known for sporting larger-than-usual displays, as the Note 20 Ultra featured a 6.9-inch display. The series made itself known for featuring the S Pen, as well, a tool Samsung brought back to its flagship Ultra models.
The Korean OEM broke records on home soil earlier this month as it reported 1.02 million pre-orders were made for its latest foldable line. Taking the cake was the Flip 5, which is the brand's most popular device, accounting for 70% of the total pre-orders. In Germany, figures rose by 50% for advance sales.
With foldables appearing to rise in consumer popularity, Samsung has discussed its interest in creating an FE version of its Flip and Fold in the future. These devices would be cheaper — how much is unknown — but would only arrive on the market once Samsung has "perfected" the foldable experience.
Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Flip 5 pushes the envelope for how a clamshell phone should appeal to the consumer. The device features a larger 3.4-inch cover display, capable of displaying your emails, texts, videos, and a window to your selfie camera. Internally, the Flip 5 offers a 6.7-inch display and is powered by the strong Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
