Latest news with #BlakeGaiser
Fast Company
09-07-2025
- Fast Company
Samsung fixed everything you hated about foldable phones—except the price
Just over a month ago, Samsung did something strange to start hyping up its next foldable phone announcements. Those phones, which Samsung revealed today, are officially called the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7, but in a blog post from early June, the company teased the news as ' the Next Chapter of Ultra.' Bestowing its flagship branding on new foldables would have been a big show of confidence, especially amid reports that Samsung is scaling back foldable phone production this year. But that didn't actually happen. While Samsung says the Fold7 and Flip7 address a lot of the complaints people have about foldable phones, don't expect any kind of major rebranding or strategic pivot. As before, the phones will have to speak for themselves. A thinner Fold with better cameras Samsung is at least being honest now about the reasons people have avoided foldable phones until now, because it claims to have addressed them. The Galaxy Z Fold7, for instance, is only about 9% thicker than a Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max when folded shut, and at 215 grams it's even a little lighter than those phones. The camera system is also closer to flagship quality now, with a 200 megapixel wide-angle lens and a 44% larger image sensor, though its 10 megapixel telephoto and 12 megapixel ultrawide lenses still lag behind the Ultra's 50 megapixel versions. Samsung's also giving up on hiding a front camera behind the inner display, and will instead use a camera cutout with a higher-quality 10 megapixel version. The Galaxy Z Fold7 looks more like a normal phone when it's folded shut as well, with a 6.5-inch outer screen that's wider than previous models. The inner screen now stretches to 8 inches as a result, and Samsung says it's improved the hinge so the crease on the inner screen isn't as noticeable. 'We're really excited about this device,' says Blake Gaiser, head of mobile phone management for Samsung Electronics America. 'We think that a lot of those barriers that have kept customers from choosing a foldable over a traditional bar-type phone are continuing to be eliminated or minimized.' Better and cheaper Flips Samsung's smaller foldables had their own set of compromises, which the company's trying to address with the Galaxy Z Flip7. The phone is wider now, giving the inner screen a 21:9 aspect ratio that matches most regular phones. The outer screen also has smaller bezels and matches the smooth 120 Hz refresh rate and brightness of the inner screen. Because the 4,300 mAh battery is larger and the processor is more efficient, Samsung says the Flip 7 lasts eight hours longer in video playback tests on a single charge. The Flip7 is also about 8% thinner than the Fold 6 when folded shut, and it's about 12% thinner than a Galaxy S25+ when unfolded. The camera system is the same, with 50 megapixel wide and 12 megapixel ultrawide lenses, though it'll be aided by a new image processing system. 'We had to make some sacrifices with that compact form factor, but I think that's something we've addressed in the last generations, and something we'll continue to address with Flip7,' says Peter Park, Samsung Electronics America's senior product manager for foldables. The pricing problem Even as Samsung chips away at what bothered people about foldable phones, price might still be the biggest barrier. 'Consumers who were interested in trying a foldable, especially a Flip, for them budget or price was the number one reason why they were not able to make that leap,' Park says. Samsung doesn't really have an answer for that yet. It's releasing a $900 Flip7 FE, which is largely just a rebrand of last year's Flip6 with the same smaller outer screen and weaker battery life. The Flip7 will still cost $1,100, leaving it on the higher end of flagship phone pricing. The Galaxy Z Fold7, meanwhile, is moving in the wrong direction with a starting price of $2,000. That's $100 more than the Fold6 and $200 more than the Fold5. For now, it seems that Samsung would rather not release an 'FE' variant with last year's compromises. 'We just haven't seen at this point a dramatic market for the trade-offs we would need to take in order to decrease the price,' Gaiser says. Making the case In lieu of lower pricing, Samsung will have to make the case for its foldables in other ways. Gaiser hopes that simply seeing the phones in all their glory will be enough. To that end, Samsung has been working with wireless carriers on adhesive-mounted security mechanisms instead of bulky claw grips so shoppers can get a better feel for the phones. It's also leaning on carriers for subsidies in exchange for long-term service plans, though it's unclear if those will be much different from the discounts they offer on other phones. 'At the end of the day, foldable awareness is still far below that of a traditional bar-type phone,' Gaiser says. 'One of the things that really excites us about Fold 7 is that, even when I showed it around to people for the first time here in the office, they didn't realize that it was a foldable.' But what about that whole 'Next Chapter of Ultra' business? Is there another phone forthcoming? Did Samsung have a bigger rebrand in mind and get cold feet? Gaiser says the goal was merely to 'allow people to understand that this is more like an Ultra that unfolds' and acknowledged the potential for confusion. But when asked about reports of Samsung cutting production plans for this year's foldables, and rival OnePlus' decision not to ship a foldable in 2025, Gaiser says Samsung still believes in the category. The evidence is in what Samsung's announcing this week. 'We think that the future of foldables is bright, and we're uniquely positioned to bring forth the innovation necessary to get more and more people excited about foldables,' he says. 'If others don't see it that way, we're happy to fill the void.'
Android Authority
19-06-2025
- Android Authority
I don't buy Samsung's excuse for not using a silicon-carbon battery in the S25 Edge
Ryan Haines / Android Authority Samsung just launched the Galaxy S25 Edge, and it's probably the most polarizing Galaxy phone in years. The new phone brings an impressively thin and light design along with a 6.7-inch display. It also has the S25 Ultra's 200MP main camera. Unfortunately, this thin and light phone comes with several compromises, such as no telephoto camera and 25W wired charging power. However, the 3,900mAh battery is the Galaxy S25 Edge's biggest cutback. Samsung could have used a silicon-carbon battery, but it didn't. And the company's reasoning is questionable at best. Do you think Samsung should use silicon-carbon batteries? 0 votes Yes, they need to adopt it already NaN % They should adopt it after thorough testing NaN % No, lithium-ion batteries are good enough NaN % Why doesn't the S25 Edge use silicon-carbon batteries? Silicon-carbon batteries differ from conventional lithium-ion batteries by lacing anodes with (surprise) silicon instead of graphite. This change allows for greater energy density. Simply put, that means a larger battery capacity for the same physical size or the same capacity in a smaller physical battery size. It really seemed like a no-brainer for a thin phone like the S25 Edge, but Samsung decided against this. Samsung US executive Blake Gaiser had a rather curious explanation for this omission when he was interviewed by Tom's Guide: Samsung's always looking at every new emerging technology that's out there. So it's something that we're definitely not keeping our eyes off of. But with that new chipset, with agentic AI helping with performance and efficiencies of these batteries, we really felt that going with our traditional lithium-ion battery was the right move for this device. I don't know about you, but I'm not buying Samsung's reasoning at all. I especially take umbrage with Gaiser characterizing this as an 'emerging technology' when they've been used in commercial phones for over two years now. That doesn't sound like a long time, but there are more smartphone manufacturers using silicon-carbon batteries than brands that aren't, at least in the flagship space. Apple, Google, Sony, and Samsung are among the only holdouts in this space. Meanwhile, HONOR, HUAWEI, Motorola, OPPO/OnePlus, realme, vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE have all released at least one phone with this tech. In fact, HONOR is readying fourth-generation silicon-carbon tech with the launch of the Magic V5 foldable. Don't get me wrong; there is a downside to silicon-carbon batteries. They can be more prone to swelling, but smartphone brands have addressed this issue by only using a small amount of silicon. We've also seen companies like HONOR gradually increase the silicon content as they get to grips with the tech. Samsung claims that silicon-carbon batteries are an 'emerging' technology, but they've been here for a while. If anything, I thought a limited release like the Galaxy S25 Edge would've been the prime candidate for a silicon-carbon battery. This would allow the company to iron out any minor kinks for more widespread releases like the mainline Galaxy S26 series. This battery tech would also allow Samsung to slim down its foldables without compromising endurance. I also take issue with Gaiser's claim that 'agentic AI' can help deliver a more efficient experience. Sure, AI and other software enhancements can indeed make a difference, but how much is highly debatable. Furthermore, AI won't make a real difference two or three years down the line when that already small battery degrades and you effectively lose 20% of the phone's battery capacity. And it's not like Samsung can't bring these AI-assisted battery improvements to other, less slim phones. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't expecting a silicon-carbon battery to be a silver bullet for the Galaxy S25 Edge. There's only so much you can do with a super-slim design. However, even an extra 300 to 400mAh would've made an appreciable difference to everyday usage. Samsung had the chance to step up its game but missed out, again. Ah well, maybe the company will adopt this tech when Apple eventually embraces it.
India Today
06-06-2025
- India Today
Samsung defends Galaxy S25 Edge battery and camera choices, calls it the right move
Samsung has defended its choices for the Galaxy S25 Edge's battery capacity and camera prowess, positioning them as intentional decisions aligned with the phone's core design philosophy. That philosophy, as it turns out, was to make an exceptionally thin and light phone that also offers a flagship experience. In essence, it is an ultra-phone without going ultra in while it is stacked in almost all the right ways, its 3900mAh battery and lack of a dedicated telephoto camera leave something to be desired, especially for those chasing 'big' numbers and benchmark Galaxy S25 Edge measures just 5.8mm and weighs only 163 grams, making it the slimmest and lightest Galaxy S series phone to date (excluding its foldables when unfolded). The 3900mAh battery appears to be a big trade-off for the incredibly thin profile – at least on paper – but according to Blake Gaiser, US Mobile Director for Samsung America, that is hardly an issue because, despite the smaller capacity, the phone is optimised to last 'all day' for most users and performs comparably to the Galaxy S25 with a 4,000mAh battery. 'I think enough battery life for most customers is just an all-day usage. What we've seen with this device is that it has worked as well or better than the S24 base model and very close to the S25 base model,' Gaiser said in an interview with Tom's Guide. 'As long as you can live with it from sun up to sun down without having any issues, we think that's a great experience. And personally, I haven't had much of an issue with the battery life whatsoever.'advertisementThe senior executive hinted that Samsung was exploring silicon-carbon batteries, though he fell short of revealing if it plans to use the technology in its phones anytime soon.'Samsung's always looking at every new emerging technology that's out there. So it's something that we're definitely not keeping our eyes off of,' Gaiser said while reiterating that the traditional lithium-ion battery was 'the right move' for the Galaxy S25 for the lack of a proper zoom camera, he said most users preferred ultrawide and while 100X Space Zoom was nice, many are less likely to use it every day or even every month.
Phone Arena
06-06-2025
- Phone Arena
Samsung executive defends Galaxy S25 Edge from critique: 'just hold it'
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a stunning feat of engineering, but compromises had to be made in more than one key aspect. Blake Gaiser — director of smartphone product management at Samsung Electronics America — defended the phone's shortcomings in a recent interview. In Gaiser's eyes, the S25 Edge isn't a phone where users should focus on the specifications. He says that he basically 'gave up' on trying to woo consumers with the hardware packed within the slim chassis. Instead, Gaiser now simply asks people to hold the phone before passing any judgment on it. — Blake Gaiser, Tom's Guide, June 2025 The Galaxy S25 Edge is, in Gaiser's opinion, a phone for the people who want a large and powerful phone without the weight and unnecessary features that they don't need. Gaiser defends the lack of telephoto zoom by saying that most users don't need it. He claims that 'people don't really understand the quality of their photos,' and as such can still take excellent pictures without telephoto zoom. The Galaxy S25 Edge provides an Ultra experience in a much slimmer form factor. | Video credit — Samsung One aspect that I personally dislike about the new slim phone craze is the smaller battery. Battery life has been a major concern for me for many years, but Gaiser says that most users just need 'all-day' battery. The S25 Edge battery isn't as bad as I had initially feared, so Gaiser is right about that. However, I would have definitely preferred a thicker phone with a bigger battery. But that's the entire selling point of the Edge, and something that Gaiser said multiple times throughout the interview. In his eyes, the slimness, weight, and distribution of said weight makes the S25 Edge a very compelling sidegrade to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and a formidable competitor to the upcoming iPhone 17 Air. Apple is, of course, not far behind in the new slim phone race. The iPhone 17 Air is reportedly going to replace the iPhone Plus model, which had previously replaced the mini model. Reports indicate that the Air will have similar compromises to the Edge, opting instead for a more elegant form. But only time will tell whether super slim phones catch on, or whether the S25 Edge will flop.
Android Authority
05-06-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
Samsung tries to justify the Galaxy S25 Edge's shortcomings
Samsung's recently launched Galaxy S25 Edge is an impressive feat of engineering. At the same time, a few compromises had to be made to achieve its thin form factor. This has led to the handset becoming one of the most polarizing Android phones of this year. A new interview has now shed some light on why certain trade-offs were made. Speaking with Tom's Guide , Blake Gaiser, the director of smartphone product management at Samsung Electronics America, provided some insight into some the most controversial decisions Samsung made when developing the Edge. The executive also uses the interview as an opportunity to defend the device against its naysayers. One of the biggest points of contention with the Edge is the battery, which has a capacity of 3,900mAh. For comparison, the base-level Galaxy S25 features a 4,000 mAh battery, while the larger Plus offers 4,900mAh. In response to this criticism, Gaiser mentions that he thinks customers only care about 'all-day' battery life: I think enough battery life for most customers is just an all-day usage. You don't want to find yourself at lunch with an empty battery. And what we've seen with this device is that it has worked as well or better than the S24 base model and very close to the S25 base model. And so as long as you can live with it from sun up to sun down without having any issues, we think that's a great experience. And personally, I haven't had much of an issue with the battery life whatsoever. When asked why the company opted not to use a silicon carbide battery to get more capacity in the same amount of space, Gaiser stated: Samsung's always looking at every new emerging technology that's out there. So it's something that we're definitely not keeping our eyes off of. But with that new chipset, with agentic AI helping with performance and efficiencies of these batteries, we really felt that going with our traditional lithium-ion battery was the right move for this device. Samsung also made the decision not to include a dedicated telephoto lens in the Edge. While it's not a necessary feature, it's something that would've been nice to have. Gaiser's answer for why the telephoto lens was skipped is related to how often people use that particular lens: We are just so far ahead in our camera tech that people don't really understand the quality of their photos that they're getting. Not only is it things like optical zooms, but it's also the agentic AI that we have built in, from the chipset up, utilizing cognitive-aware engines so that your camera understands what you're taking photos of and is able to utilize AI to give you that perfect shot. But when we're looking at the usage of our cameras with our customers, we know a couple of things. We know that the most popular zooms that our customers use are the 0.6X to get those really wide macro views, the 1X, 2X and 3X. Is it nice to have the 100X Space Zoom at times? Absolutely. Sure. But is it something that you're going to use every day or even every month? When you're doing side-by-side comparisons, I think customers are really going to see that you're getting fantastic quality that meets or beats our competition. It's fair to say these answers feel somewhat lacking, especially for the battery question. But what's done is done. Here's to hoping Samsung will fix these flaws in the next iteration.
