Samsung unveiled a highly anticipated smartphone with a foldable screen in an attempt to break the innovative funk that has beset the smartphones market. The phone, announced Wednesday in San Francisco, will be called the Galaxy Fold and will sell for a whopping US$1,980 when it is released April 26. Consumers willing to pay that hefty price will get a device that can unfold like a wallet so it can work like a traditional smartphone with a 4.6 inch screen or fold out on its long edge into something more like a mini-tablet with a 7.3 inch screen. When fully unfolded, the device will be able to simultaneously run three different apps on the screen. Mobile World Congress 2019: Huawei’s foldable smartphone “Get ready for the dawn of a new era,” declared DJ Koh, who oversees Samsung’s smartphone division. The new phone, he said, “answers sceptics who said everything has already been done.” Samsung is hoping the Galaxy Fold will spur more people to upgrade their phones and reverse a recent slump that saw its smartphone sales fall 8 per cent last year. But some analysts were sceptical. Phones like the Galaxy Fold “are likely sell to a very limited market of technology aficionados who like big screens and have big wallets,” said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas. Have we hit peak smartphone? 2018 sales fell, 2019 outlook poor Samsung also released new Galaxy S10 phones that boast fancy cameras, sleek screens covering the entire front of the devices and at least 128 gigabytes of storage – important features to consumers shopping for phones. Meet the Next Generation Galaxy. #GalaxyS10 Learn more: https://t.co/UstjA79jjF pic.twitter.com/hXOOfafTH1 — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) February 20, 2019 <!--//--><![CDATA[// ><!-- //--><!]]> The new phones are able take wider-angle shots than previous models and can charge other devices, including wireless headphones and smartwatches. A fourth S10 model, due out this spring, will have faster wireless speeds through the emerging 5G cellular network. But those improvements aren’t a big leap from the smartphones released during the past few years by Samsung, Apple and other top manufacturers. With the pace of smartphone innovation seemingly locked in baby steps, consumers are holding on to their existing devices for longer periods than they have in the past. Samsung’s crazy new foldable phone? Pah, these guys did it first That’s main reason worldwide smartphone sales dropped 4 per cent last year, according to the research firm International Data Corp. Consumers’ reluctance to upgrade has been compounded by smartphone sticker shock, which the Galaxy Fold seems unlikely to alleviate. Prices for some existing phones models have soared above US$1,000. Samsung is offering a slightly smaller S10 model for US$750 in an attempt to make smartphones more affordable, but the higher-end models sell for US$900 and US$1,000. All three S10 models will come out March 8, with pre-orders starting Thursday. Chinese start-up Royole claims crown of world’s ‘first foldable phone’ Samsung trumpeted its 10th anniversary line-up ahead of a major mobile device conference in Barcelona next week. A next generation device in a size that’s just right for you. #GalaxyS10 #SamsungEvent Learn more: https://t.co/H4UtwA7l4B pic.twitter.com/U2WosF760h — Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) February 20, 2019 <!--//--><![CDATA[// ><!-- //--><!]]> Huawei, which is threatening to overtake Apple as the world’s second biggest seller of smartphones, has promised to use the Spain showcase to preview its own device with a foldable screen and the ability to connect to 5G networks as they become operational during the next few years.