Samsung recently unveiled its newest product in the U.S. on September 27, the Galaxy Fold. This smartphone is exactly as it sounds - it is a foldable phone that when opened reveals two additional screens. The Galaxy Fold costs almost $2,000 and its tablet-sized screen that folds in half is meant to offer a heightened multitasking experience, allowing users the portability of a phone with the functionality of a tablet.

This new product comes at a pivotal time for Samsung as it has been struggling to keep up with lower-cost Chinese rivals, in particular Huawei Technologies, and is hoping to elevate its sales. Everyone is keeping a close eye on how product sales unfold. Additionally, the lack of any major hardware or software advances in recent years has led people to hold onto their phones for longer, leading to a decline in global smartphone sales.

Samsung's new product got off to a strong start, with about 3,000 sales in less than 24 hours. However, it has been experiencing some issues. Samsung has stated that it would investigate problems regarding malfunctioning of the dual screens. Some tech reviewers who received the Galaxy Fold have stated that when peeling off the top layer of the display they tore off part of the phone's screen - thinking that it was part of the protective cover. However, Wayne Lam, principal analyst at HIS Markit, stated that given the high price and niche consumer market, the unsatisfying reviews from tech experts are unlikely to result in very significant consumer setbacks: "This speaks to the difficulty of making a new technology like this work. The phone will sell on novelty of display alone." The smartphone industry has overall been tough for companies such as Samsung and Huawei. Smartphone shipments fell 5% in 2018, while Samsung's fell even more, by 8%.

Samsung's competitor, Huawei also plans to release a foldable phone, called the Mate X, which will release this fall and cost $2,600 (30% more than the Galaxy Fold). Samsung planned to stay ahead of its competition by pushing technological advances. However, according to Nicole Peng, a senior director at Canalys, a company which tracks smartphone sales, Huawei can use Samsung's problems as opportunities to market and push its own product.

The Galaxy Fold has only been in the U.S. market for less than a week so even with a bumpy start the product can come out on top if Samsung can convince its customers that it's worth the upgrade.