Samsung Readies Partners for New Hybrid, Foldable Tablet-Smartphone

… camera, a rear triple camera and front dual cameras. The base model ships with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It has two batteries.

Priced at $1,980, the Fold will cost more than purchasing a separate Galaxy phone and tablet. It remains to be seen how extensive an appetite there is from business users, and consumers alike, for a foldable device. Some feel this will set the stage for a new category of hybrid devices, even if the Fold’s initial concept morphs over time.

“I think that Samsung’s Fold is amazing, people are going to go nuts over it,” said Bob O’Donnell, president and chief analyst of TECHanalysis Research. “Yes. I know, it’s ridiculously expensive, but it’s going to be the device that people are going to want to have, especially those who love gadgets.”

Bob Egan, chief research officer and founder of the Sepharim Research Group, was also intrigued by the Fold but questioned its appeal to mainstream users. “It was all about a very interesting demonstration of the art of the possible, but not necessarily the art of consumer desires,” Egan said, noting the thickness of the Fold., but also because it’s a concept many users are yet to grasp.

Yet, O’Donnell believes the Fold will rack up more sales than critics expect. “To be very clear, it’s not going to be a huge seller but remember the first iPhone was not a huge seller either,” he said. “This is really closer to a truly pocketable computer than anything we’ve ever seen. In that regard, it certainly has the potential for business because you can start to see commercial apps that are difficult to do on the phone with the ability to multitask.”

Channel-Ready Devices

Partners can offer unlocked versions of its devices, including the new Fold, through Samsung’s distributors, which include Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Synnex and Vertex Wireless. Coleman said he believes the new Fold, and the portfolio of phones that all support the new Wi-Fi 6 (aka. 802.11 ax) standard as well as its one 5G-enabled phone, will bolster Samsung’s efforts to help partners build out or expand mobile solutions practices, especially those in the MSPP program.

Since introducing that new program when he took over mobile channel sales two years ago, Coleman said sales through the channel doubled year-over-year both in 2017 and again 2018. A key contributor to that growth is the support functions Samsung and its distributors have enabled to offer commercial customers business-grade services that carriers can’t, according to Coleman.

“One of the things we’re seeing really good growth in is enhanced services that customers sometimes can’t get from the carriers in terms of kitting, staging, configuration, pre-loads, customization…