[Interview] Samsung Executives Share Their Insights Into the Groundbreaking Galaxy Z Series and Galaxy Watch4

At its Galaxy Unpacked event on August 11, Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest innovations- Galaxy Z Fold3, Z Flip3 and Galaxy Watch4 series, setting the new standard for mobile experiences.

In order for users to get to know these groundbreaking products better, Samsung Newsroom spoke with several Samsung executives to learn about innovations of the latest Galaxy devices and the strategy that went into their development. Check out some of the key insights, the interview highlights and the full interview video below.

Q: What is the target sales goal for the Galaxy Z series and what steps are you taking to reach it?

Answered by Bryan Choi, Executive Vice President and Head of Strategic Marketing, Mobile Communications Business

A: Many surveys have shown us that the market demand for foldable smartphones is growing, in fact up to 6.5 million units in 2021[1], triple the demand of last year. Samsung is positioned to be the leading and foremost provider, set to drive volume beyond the market demand.

With the new Galaxy Z series, we’re bringing foldable innovations to more consumers by breaking down the barriers of entry with our pricings. I am confident that with our new Galaxy Z series, we can drive record high demand for foldables, inviting even more consumers to enjoy this new way of using their smartphone.

Q: How are you addressing durability concerns with the new Galaxy Z series? Are the new foldables really durable enough for everyday extended use?

Answered by Dr. Won-Joon Choi, Executive Vice President and Head of the Flagship Product R&D Team, Mobile Communications Business

A: For the new foldable series, we had a big mission: the durability, so that our customers can use the devices with peace of mind for everyday extended use. To do that, we started from scratch in order to make the ‘impossible’, ‘possible’.

Water resistance and increased durability are the key features we focused on for our new foldable devices so that users can take their devices with them anywhere with confidence, whether they are breaking a sweat at the gym or relaxing by the pool.

We are able to deliver the world’s first water resistant foldable smartphones by implementing an innovative sealing design that our engineering team has come up with. We’ve also increased the durability of our flexible displays by about 80 percent compared to the previous foldables by redesigning the layer structure and using a new protective film.

Furthermore, the outer body of the Galaxy Z series is protected by Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus, our strongest aluminum frame and toughest glass material yet. Thanks to all these innovations, we believe that foldable smartphones such as the Galaxy Z series are set to become the new standard in mobile devices as the category turns mainstream.

1. What are you most excited about with Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3?

Answered by Patrick Chomet, Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Experience,  Mobile Communications Business

A: We designed the new Galaxy Z series to address consumers’ needs in every moment – capturing, communicating, sharing and expressing. One of my favorite features is the hands-free selfie with the Galaxy Z Flip3. Continuing our collaboration with Google, we made the video call experience even better. Within Google Duo, the camera automatically zooms in and out to fit everyone into the frame. With HD quality, our premium camera system and the devices’ amazing displays, your hands-free video calls are vivid, clear and more enjoyable.

Furthermore, for Galaxy Z Fold3, we have enabled the S Pen experience with our Wacom partnership, so that users can write down on its large screen for the first time on foldables. You can even watch content on the top half of your screen and take notes with your S Pen on the bottom half.

Q: Is there enough market demand for foldable devices? What do you think consumers want from the new Galaxy Z series?

Answered by Drew Blackard, Vice President of Mobile Product Management, Samsung Electronics America

A: Samsung pioneered the foldable form factor because we believe in the amazing potential for this technology to, quite literally, open up new experiences. People really appreciate their phones’ unique form factor and the flexibility it provides to multitask, or enjoy their favorite shows, on a large, portable screen. These experiences are a big reason why foldable users love their devices, and nearly 9 out of 10 Galaxy Z series users want to buy another foldable as their next device[2]. In fact, the foldable market is set to triple in size this year over last – and Samsung is a primary driver of that growth.

We have improved our latest Galaxy Z series devices to address the biggest consumer needs and wants. Consumers told us that they were looking for increased durability, new and improved displays, S Pen functionality and more apps tailored specifically to the foldable experience. With our latest Galaxy Z series devices, we’re delivering all that and more in sleeker devices – at even lower price points.

Q: What improvements did you make to optimize the S Pen experience for the foldable device?

Answered by Nobu Ide, President and CEO of Wacom.

A: Samsung and Wacom have been working closely together for over 10 years on the S Pen, always innovating to deliver unique and differentiated experiences to Galaxy users.

For the foldable device, we have renewed the S Pen technology to make it more optimized and more special for the new product. Not only does it offer fantastic performance such as less latency and super precision, it also comes with a finely tuned-up pen tip structure to deliver excellent drawing and writing experiences on the foldable screen surface.

We are so honored to see our technologies continue to be used in Galaxy devices and will keep supporting the expanded Galaxy portfolio with the S Pen moving forward.

Q: Why would a user buy a Galaxy Watch4 over other health-specific smartwatches?

Answered by Dr. Janghyun Yoon, Executive Vice President and Head of Software Platform Team,  Mobile Communications Business

A: The Galaxy Watch series has been empowering millions of users to access detailed insights into their overall health for years. Now, we have equipped our new Galaxy Watch4 with our most advanced sensor technology ever in order to deliver our most comprehensive health experience yet.

We reduced the size of the health sensors to create a thinner and slimmer design. While smaller sensors typically lessen the accuracy of health measurements, we developed an entirely new algorithm to ensure we didn’t make any compromises.

On top of that, we engineered the Samsung BioActive Sensor (3-in-1 sensor) that enables three powerful health metrics – Optical Heart Rate Sensor (PPG), Electrical Heart Sensor (ECG) and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Sensor (BIA) – to run on just one chipset. This means that Galaxy Watch4 users can monitor their Blood Pressure, detect an AFib irregular heartbeat, measure their Blood Oxygen level, and even calculate their Body Composition, anytime, anywhere.

Furthermore, Galaxy Watch4 is the first Galaxy Watch to offer Body Composition analysis, a measurement that instantly provides a complete snapshot of your overall fitness. Together, these features offer users a more holistic and helpful understanding of their health.

Q: Why did Samsung change the OS for Galaxy Watch, and what does this actually mean for users?

Answered by Dr. Janghyun Yoon, Executive Vice President and Head of Software Platform Team, Mobile Communications Business

A: Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic will usher in an exciting new era for smartwatch innovation. We developed a new, unified operating system, built jointly with Google. And together with One UI Watch, this has created a more seamless and deeply connected Galaxy experience across our smartwatches and smartphones.

At the same time, we have been working with multiple partners to develop an immense ecosystem of apps that can deliver a richer experience to users. On top of all this, we also boosted Galaxy Watch4’s performance and developed sophisticated sensor technology that fully integrates with industry-leading partner apps, such as Strava.

What this means for users is that they can benefit from multi-dimensional insights about their overall health that help them to live healthier and feel better, every day.

Q: What are the business opportunities or enterprise use cases of the new Galaxy Z series and Watch4 series?

Answered by Hamshy Raveendran, Head of Mobile B2B Product Management and Go-To-Market, Samsung Electronics America

A: From the flexibility of multi-tasking on a large screen to enhanced durability thanks to our new Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus, the Galaxy Z series gives business users the next-level performance they can only get from a Galaxy flagship foldable.

For example – you can review a client’s portfolio or patient chart, video chat with your team and send an email, all at the same time. With Samsung DeX, you can connect your Galaxy Z series device to a monitor for a desktop-like experience, or use the device as a second, large screen. And now on the Galaxy Z Fold3, you can use an S Pen to mark up or sign documents. The Galaxy Z series devices of course come with Samsung’s signature defense-grade security platform Knox to protect you and your data from the chip level up. You can rest assured that all your sensitive business information is safe – from confidential contracts to patient and client data.

Our Galaxy Watch4 series also unlocks new opportunities for businesses thanks to the devices’ robust and holistic wellness features. With its advanced health features, our latest Galaxy Watch4 series can help businesses enhance employees’ wellness, while also fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes wellbeing. We are proud to continue to offer innovations built to help our B2B customers become more mobile and flexible, and ultimately, to support their success.

Q: What are Samsung’s mobile sustainability vision and goals?

Answered by Stephanie Choi, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing Team, Mobile Communications Business

A: We’re excited to announce Galaxy for the Planet, our commitment to helping build a more sustainable future across our business and product lifecycles. By 2025, we are set to achieve zero standby power consumption for our smartphone chargers, incorporate recycled material in all our mobile products, and eliminate the use of plastics in our packaging. We will also divert all waste from landfill sites across our manufacturing facilities by then.

This is a small but crucial step in our sustainability journey. We believe that achieving these goals will bring us one step closer to creating a greener future. Samsung is committed to creating a more sustainable world.

[1] Source: 2.2M in 2020 to 6.5M in 2021; CAGR 113% from 2019-2025; Strategy Analytics global display technologies, May 2021

[2] Samsung’s internal Galaxy Z Fold2 consumer study