Samsung presented a new foldable-screen smartphone in San Francisco on Tuesday, .
Photo: stephen lam/ReutersSAN FRANCISCO— Samsung Electronics Co.’s latest flagship devices feature different names, pack extra camera tricks and add a nostalgic yet novel way to open a smartphone.
But the South Korean technology giant, like the broader smartphone industry, is still scrambling to address a question that has befuddled handset makers in recent years: What is left to give consumers who already think they have enough?
At a San Francisco event on Tuesday, Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker, presented its ideas: three models of its mainstream Galaxy S phones—dubbed the S20, a generous numeric upgrade from last year’s Galaxy S10 moniker—and a new foldable-screen device.
That device, christened the Galaxy Z Flip, opens vertically like a flip phone of the past, though it is all screen on the inside. Last year’s Galaxy Fold, the first mainstream foldable-screen offering, opened and shut like a book.
All of the S20 models are also compatible with 5G, the next-generation network slowly rolling out world-wide. Details for the Galaxy Z Flip phone weren’t immediately available. The three Galaxy S20 variants, boasting screen sizes of between 6.2 inches and 6.8 inches, will hit shelves March 6.
The new handsets are Samsung’s attempt to reverse diminishing returns seen in the smartphone market. All but the most ardent tech enthusiasts have spaced out a smartphone upgrade to an average of nearly three years in the U.S., according to a Strategy Analytics survey.
Global smartphone sales also slid 1% last year, according to Counterpoint Technology Market Research—the second straight year of declines after nearly a decade of robust growth.
Samsung’s new mobile chief Roh Tae-moon seemed to acknowledge a shifting tide in a rare company editorial published on Saturday. Titled the “Dawn of a New Decade of Galaxy,” Mr. Roh’s piece outlined little about his new lineup of phones. Rather he addressed the role of 5G, artificial intelligence and broader connectivity—and how the latest Galaxy devices play a supporting role.
“Samsung is proud to drive the convergence of these technologies across various smart devices, including Galaxy phones, wearables and PCs,” Mr. Roh said. Samsung declined to make Mr. Roh available for an interview.
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As the smartphone market has matured, Samsung has little choice but to push hardware advances like 5G or cameras that have 100x zoom capability, said Wayne Lam, a principal analyst at IHS Markit, a market researcher.
“Everybody knows we’re well into the second decade of the smartphone,” Mr. Lam said. “Unless you live under a rock, almost everyone knows the benefits and user experience.”
Samsung’s new foldable phone in particular could accelerate its smartphone earnings—if consumers adopt a device that cost well above $1,000, said Susquehanna analyst Mehdi Hosseini.
The phone’s physical design has always “driven the cool factor in the past,” Mr. Hosseini said, pointing to the substantial growth Samsung saw in its smartphone sales when it pushed dramatically larger display sizes in 2012 and 2013. “This time it could be the flex of the display or the foldability.”
Samsung’s launch of the Galaxy S handsets, typically the industry’s first major release of the year, has historically served as a primer for what rivals have in store. The Galaxy S20 handsets will come in three variants: the S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra and have at least 128 gigabytes of storage memory.
The cameras on each device range from 30x to 100x zoom, with the highest-priced and largest Ultra model benefiting from a 10x optical zoom lens.
The new Z Flip, which Samsung previewed in an ad aired during the Academy Awards on Sunday night, will feature a clamshell design with a small display window on the outside and include an external camera. The “Z” in its name is intended to evoke a folding silhouette and allude to future origami-like designs that might follow.
Samsung is raising prices for the Galaxy S20 models compared with last year’s offerings: The base Galaxy S20 will cost $1,000, followed by the S20+ at $1,200 and the top-of-the-line S20 Ultra at $1,400.
The company is also marking down last year’s Galaxy S10 phones by $150, with the base model now costing $600.
Write to Elizabeth Koh at Elizabeth.Koh@wsj.com
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