Samsung's foldable smartphone teased for November reveal
CEO DJ Koh says the company wants to target a millennial audience.
Samsung's foldable smartphone has been in the works for years, but now it looks like we're finally going to get a sneak peek of the technology within the next couple of months. Speaking to CNBC at the IFA electronics show in Berlin last week, Samsung Mobile's CEO DJ Koh said it's "time to deliver" on the long-promised device, and that it could be unveiled at the Samsung Developer Conference in November. Strong emphasis on the could, though -- Samsung does have a history of bigging up its plans. Koh didn't give away any details on how the phone could work, noting that the development process has been "complicated." However, he did say that the company has put a great deal of thought into ensuring the device would offer functionality beyond its novel value. "Every device, every feature, every innovation should have a meaningful message to our end customer. So when the end customer uses it, [they think] 'wow, this is the reason Samsung made it'," Koh said. Koh also said that the company is planning on changing its approach to the mid-tier smartphone market in a bid to attract a millennial audience that wants high-spec tech for reasonable prices. "We are very much focusing on millennials who cannot afford the flagship. But how can I deliver meaningful innovation to our millennials? That's the reason I'm trying to differentiate the mid-section," he said, noting that Samsung might even start releasing mid-price handsets more often than just once a year.
