“The user experience we can provide on foldables could be tough to beat”: Samsung’s Aditya Babbar on increasing competition

Samsung India's Aditya Babbar on the brand's foldables strategy in the country

• By Deepak Dhingra -
Published On: August 28, 2023

Samsung's latest foldable smartphones, the Z Fold5 and the Z Flip5 have recently landed and as is the case every year, managed to create waves in a segment that's still niche. This, despite the fact that most folks who observe consumer tech closely — industry insiders, media, analysts, enthusiasts, etc. — touted foldables to be the next big thing when they first appeared on the scene. A few years later, that stance hasn't changed, though the euphoria is not as strong. However, the launches expected in the coming months are looking very promising, and the new entrants would be hoping to shake Samsung's dominance in this arena. We sat down with Aditya Babbar, Senior Director, Mobile Business at Samsung India to ask how the brand is planning to tackle this and discuss other aspects of the foldables business for the company. Here are some highlights from the conversation.

On how things will change from Samsung's perspective

• The increase in options is great news for the consumers, since they'll get more choice.
• That said, we being true to our principle of meaningful innovation, we are there on the ground. In the last five years, a lot has changed. Today when talk about foldables, we are not just talking about the devices, we are talking about an experience that has matured to a certain level. Take, for instance, the software which has specifically been designed for foldables, and we have worked with Google for that. Then there are aspects like the best-in-class camera features, the best chipset, IP rating and S Pen, which Samsung devices offer. So, we feel that we now have a legacy of foldables that has really evolved over the years to become a very very strong consumer proposition. We have the trust of so many consumers who have already been using our foldables.

• Then there's the availability aspect. It requires investments and training.
• And the next bit is the affordability. Today, whether it is about credit card buying or non-bank financing, we have all options for the consumers. Options like the upgrade bonus we offer against exchange of any old phone in working condition, 24-month EMIs etc, make Samsung foldables accessible in terms of affordability.
• So it's not just the device, the experience and ease of buying help provide the edge for us. And we want to continue to work on that path to do what is right for the consumer and empower them in the long run.

On how the new Z Fold5 and Flip5 were received by consumers

• In a short span of time, we have been able to achieve some record numbers. We received 150,000 pre-bookings in the country, which is 1.5x as compared to the previous generation of foldables.
• Interestingly, demand in tier 3 and 4 towns has also grown at the same pace, indicating that foldables are becoming mainstream in India.
• We are ramping up the availability of these devices across the country and aiming to provide the experience to people even in smaller towns, where this might be the first time that they are seen. The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 are available across 10,000 stores in India, up from 6,000 stores through which the previous generation of foldables were sold.

On the perception of foldable smartphones not being as durable as conventional phones, and if that acts as a potential bottleneck

• To be honest, I see you guys as evangelists... the reviewers and those who share tech with the world. You guys have reviewed the device and you can vouch for how the hinge has become stronger, the fact that the gap in the middle has gone down, the IP rating's benefit, etc.
• This question would have been relevant a year or two back because the friction was there. But today I see that friction breaking. There's also the fact that today, foldables in a lot of hands and that gives a lot of confidence to people.