Samsung announces Galaxy Z Flip5 and Fold5 NZ release date and ...

Samsung has unveiled its latest foldable phones ahead of their release on August 11, as well as new smartwatch and tablets set to go on sale August 18.

The Galaxy Z Flip5, which will compete with Oppo's Find N2 Flip in New Zealand, will start at $1879 and come in four colours: mint, cream, lavender and graphite.

When Oppo released its first flip phone in Aotearoa earlier this year, its cover display was 3.26 inches - considerably larger than the 1.9-inch cover display of the Galaxy Z Flip4. Samsung has continued the one-upmanship with the just-announced Flip5 boasting a 3.4-inch display that takes up almost the entire cover, aside from the camera.

The bigger front screen on the Flip5 means users can access a full QWERTY keyboard for more functionality than previously available, as well as further personalisation options and a multi-widget view.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 will start at $2849 for the 256GB version, $3099 for 512GB and $3549 for 1TB. It will come in three colours: icy blue, cream and phantom black.

It features an improved hinge system that unlike previous models allows the phone to close completely flat without leaving a gap. Samsung also said it's the thinnest and lightest Fold yet.

Although there are rivals to the Fold sold overseas, they are currently not readily available in Aotearoa, but this could well change given how rapidly the foldable market is said to be growing.

Samsung's Watch6 Classic will start at $649 while the standard Watch6 will start at $449, entering a busy smartwatch market to compete with the likes of Apple, Fitbit, Huawei and Garmin.

The new wearable devices feature "holistic health offerings and powerful performance in a refined and sleek design, boasting a slimmer bezel, a larger and more vibrant display, and more interactive user interface", Samsung said.

As for the new tablets, the Galaxy Tab S9 series starts at $1449 and comes in beige and graphite.

All devices in the line-up feature a HDR10+ certified dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz, powered by a customised Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

The tablets are IP68 rating, which allows for more outdoor use without worrying about damage.

Size wise, the base Tab S9 is 11 inches, the Tab S9+ is 12.4 inches and the Tab S9 Ultra is 14.6 inches.

The new Tabs will compete with Apple's iPad range, Microsoft's Surface tablets and rival Android tablets from the likes of Lenovo and Oppo.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 as well as the Watch6 series and Tab S9 series opened today.