Foldable smartphones are becoming increasingly popular in the smartphone market. Thankfully, these devices are becoming cheaper too thus more people can now afford them. The popularity of foldable phones far exceeds the market’s expectations. However, only a few manufacturers presently have foldable phones. According to DSCC, the total shipments of foldable phones in the third quarter of 2021 increased by 215% from the previous quarter. The shipments of these premium smartphones also soar by 480% year on year.
However, the report shows that Samsung and Huawei occupy 99% of the foldable smartphone shipment. Among them, Samsung occupies 93% of the market share while Huawei has just 6% of the market. These two brands have almost monopolized the entire foldable smartphone market. Huawei would have had much more but the ban by the U.S. is really restricting the Chinese manufacturer.
The surge in shipments is actually mainly due to the Galaxy Z Flip3 released by Samsung in September. Its price is different from most foldable phones and it is much cheaper than others in the market. The fact is that Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 has become the most popular foldable smartphone, followed by Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Huawei Mate X2 4G version, and 5G version.
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Popular brands are now planning for their foldable smartphones
Indeed, foldable phones are becoming popular. Many popular brands like Xiaomi already have foldable phones. Others like Oppo have advanced plans in place to release a foldable smartphone. The future of the foldable smartphone market seems to be very bright.
However, many users do not see the need for a foldable smartphone. Actually, there is no real reason why people should purchase a foldable smartphone. For now, it’s all about prestige…not many people have this device. Thus, it will be pretty cool if you own a smartphone with a bendable screen.
The main reason why many people do not own this device is the price. Although there is a significant decrease in the price of foldable phones, the price remains around 10,000 yuan ($1571). Many people do not see the need to spend so much money to purchase an immature foldable smartphone. To tell ourselves the truth, foldable phones are still a work in progress. There is room for so much improvement in its workability.
When the technology is mature enough, naturally more developers will invest in ecological research and development. The price will also gradually reduce but for now, it still has a very long way to go.