San Francisco, Feb 22(AP/UNB) — Samsung unveiled a highly anticipated smartphone with a foldable screen in an attempt to break the innovation funk that has beset the smartphone market.

But it's far from clear that consumers will embrace a device that retails for almost $2,000, or that it will provide the creative catalyst the smartphone market needs.

The Galaxy Fold, announced Wednesday in San Francisco, will sell for $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. It can work like a traditional smartphone with a 4.6 inch screen or morph 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. The Galaxy Fold will also boast six cameras: three in the back, two on the inside and one on the front.

After spending nearly five years developing the technology underlying its foldable-screen phone, Samsung is clearly hoping for a big payoff.

"Get ready for the dawn of a new era," declared DJ Koh, who oversees Samsung's smartphone division. The new phone, he said, "answers skeptics who said everything has already been done."

If Samsung is right, the Galaxy Fold will spur more people to upgrade their phones. Overall smartphones sales peaked in 2017 ; Samsung saw its smartphone sales fall 8 percent last year, based on estimates from the research firm International Data Corp. Worldwide, smartphone sales dropped 4 percent in 2018, according to IDC.

But most analysts see a limited market for foldable-screen phones, at least in the early going. Phones like the Galaxy Fold "are likely to sell to a very limited market of technology aficionados who like big screens and have big wallets," said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.

Although he also believes the Galaxy Fold is more a "status symbol" than mainstream product, Moor Insights & Strategy analyst Patrick Moorhead said the device is symbolically important for Samsung, the top seller of smartphones in the world. "The Fold was icing on the cake showing that Samsung is the company driving new innovations and excitement to the market," Moorhead said.

There's no doubt that the Galaxy Fold is "luxury technology," conceded Justin Denison, a Samsung senior vice president during an interview. But he also predicted that the advent of foldable screens will unleash new uses for mobile devices. "It's a technological marvel," Denison said. "The first time you see a flexible screen, it sort of bends your mind."

Samsung also released new Galaxy S10 phones that echo the features in other recent models. Each device in the S10 lineup 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.

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.

"These phones are all variations on a theme we have already seen," Llamas said. "It's the same song with a slightly different verse."

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. Compounding that reluctance to upgrade is smartphone sticker shock, which the Galaxy Fold seems unlikely to alleviate. Prices for some existing phones models have soared above $1,000 .

Samsung is offering a slightly smaller S10 model for $750 in an attempt to make smartphones more affordable, but the higher-end models sell for $900 and $1,000. It's the second time in the past five months that a leading smartphone maker has positioned a $750 phone as a frugal option. Apple also priced its cheapest new phone, the iPhone XR, released last fall at $750. Other smartphone makers gaining market share, including China's Huawei and Xiaomi, make smartphones that sell for $500 or less, as well as high-end models.

Two of Samsung's new models, the S10 and the S10 Plus, are largely incremental upgrades of last year's S9 and S9 Plus, although they are designed differently. They are about the same size as last year's models, but will have more display space, as Samsung found additional ways to eliminate waste around the edges. As a byproduct, the top right of the display has a circle or oval cut out for the front-facing cameras.

The lowest-priced "essentials" model, the S10e, has most of the same features, but is 5 percent smaller than the S10 in volume. The S10e also lacks curved edges, a signature feature for many Samsung phones.

All three S10 models will come out March 8, with pre-orders starting Thursday.

Samsung trumpeted its 10th anniversary lineup ahead of a major mobile device conference in Barcelona next week. 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.

San Francisco, Feb 20 (AP/UNB) — Samsung is expected to show off its latest smartphones Wednesday, the latest effort by a phone maker to come up with new features compelling enough to end a sales slump.

The new models expected in San Francisco will commemorate the 10th anniversary of Samsung's first smartphone.

Samsung is also expected to provide a glimpse at a highly anticipated smartphone with a foldable screen.

Apple touted the iPhone's 10th-anniversary edition as a breakthrough when it was released in late 2017. But the iPhone X didn't sell as well as analysts hoped, partly because it carried a $1,000 price tag.

Smartphones made in recent years also haven't made dramatic improvements from earlier models. The lull in innovation has given consumers little incentive to dump their current devices and buy something new.

Dhaka, Feb 13 (UNB)-The latest Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 smartphones are now available with attractive Robi and Airtel bundle offer. As part of the bundle, the users can enjoy 4GB data (2GB any use data and 2GB 4.5G data) with 15 days validity. 

Robi’s Vice President, Avinash Mathur and Shannon Ye, Channel Director, Huawei Consumer Business Group (Bangladesh) launched these attractive bundles at a ceremony held recently at Robi Corporate office.

With face unlock and advanced synthetic finish, the Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 is available at tk 16,999. Apart from the Robi and Airtel walk-in-centres and Huawei sales outlets, users can order Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 on Robi’s premiere ecommerce site: www.robishop.com.bd.

Customers purchasing the phone from Robishop will get six months EMI facility (tk 2,834 per month), free bluetooth headset and free home delivery. 

Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 smartphone comes with 6.26 inch display, Snap dragon 450 Chipset, 3GB RAM, 32 GB ROM, 16MP front and 13 MP + 2MP back camera and 4000mAh battery. The smartphone is available in midnight black, aurora blue and coral red colour.

Dhaka, Feb 12 (UNB) - The Galaxy M10 smartphone, designed specifically for the millennial lifestyle, has been made available in the local market by Samsung Bangladesh.

This highly-anticipated affordable phone comes with best-in-class infinity-V display and powerful features such as dual camera with ultra-wide lens, long lasting battery, high performance processors and a new Samsung Experience UX, the company said in a statement Monday.

Priced at Tk 11,999, the Galaxy M10, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB ROM, will be available at a special price of Tk 10,999 from pickaboo.com starting February 12. In addition, customers can get up to 500 taka cash back on bKash payment alongside Pickaboo club points.

This special deal also comes with a two-year extended warranty. Matching the online lifestyle of the millennials, the smartphone will be available with multiple payment options, cashbacks, exchange facilities and countrywide home delivery. Data bundles with all major mobile operators will also be available.

“We believe that Galaxy M10 will be an iconic breakthrough catering to the aspirations of today’s tech savvy millennials,” said Md Muyeedur Rahman, Head of Mobile of Samsung Bangladesh.

“These users of the modern age want a smartphone that is lightning fast, runs longer and comes loaded with latest innovations. Samsung, as a trusted brand, hopes to continue delivering all the demands of the users,” he said.

Galaxy M10 comes with 6.2” HD+ infinity-V display ensuring truly immersive viewing experience. It comes with Widevine L1 certification for seamless streaming of HD content through popular apps.

Powerful dual camera is another major highlight of Galaxy M series, as today’s millennials love to click photos and make videos on the go. The Galaxy M10 sports dual rear camera, with ultra-wide feature. Its 13MP primary rear camera has F1.9 aperture. The secondary rear camera has a 5MP ultra-wide feature.

The ultra-wide mode lets users capture more expansive photos with complete ease. It is perfectly suited for capturing landscapes, cityscapes, group photos, among others, when users want to fit a lot into one single frame.

To ensure non-stop streaming of music and video, Samsung has packed a powerful 3400 mAh battery in Galaxy M10. To support the flawless entertainment, Galaxy M10 is powered by Exynos 7870 octa-core processor. Additionally, Galaxy M series comes with a new Samsung Experience version 9.5 UX which is optimised for a fast and smooth user experience.

Samsung has also prioritised the security for the users as the Galaxy M10 comes with face recognition

San Francisco, Feb 8 (AP/UNB) — Apple has released an iPhone update to fix a software flaw that allowed people to eavesdrop on others while using FaceTime.

The bug enabled interlopers to turn an iPhone into a live microphone while using Group FaceTime. Callers were able to activate another person's microphone remotely even before the person has accepted or rejected the call.

Apple turned off the group-chat feature last week, after a 14-year-old boy in Tucson, Arizona, discovered the flaw. The teenager, Grant Thompson, and his mother said they unsuccessfully tried to contact the company about the problem for more than a week. Apple has been criticized for the delay in responding and has promised to improve procedures.

The FaceTime repair is included in the latest version of Apple's iOS 12 system, which became available to install Thursday.

Although the FaceTime bug has now been addressed, its emergence is particularly embarrassing for Apple. The bug exposed Apple customers to potential surveillance at a time that CEO Tim Cook has been repeatedly declaring that personal privacy is a "fundamental human right."

Cook also has publicly skewered Facebook and Google, two companies that collect personal information to sell advertising, for not doing enough to protect people's privacy.

Apple credited Thompson for discovering the FaceTime bug as part of its software update, nearly a week after thanking him for reporting the bug in the first place.

As often occurs when people flag software flaws, Thompson will be rewarded for his sleuthing. Apple plans to contribute to Thompson's college fund in addition to paying a bounty to him and his family for reporting the bug. The company, which has $245 billion in cash, isn't disclosing the amounts.

Michele Thompson, Grant's mother, told The Associated Press in a text that the family intends to use all of the Apple money help cover his college expenses.