Samsung says foldable phones will become the ‘new smartphone standard’
Foldable smartphones are the next big thing. Or at least that’s what Samsung wants you to believe. In recent years, the company has been heavily pushing its Galaxy Z Fold and Flip lineup of devices in the high-end market. Reportedly, the smartphone maker even ditched its Galaxy Note line in favor of foldables. His efforts have paid off, with the The Korean giant will ship 10 million folding and folding devices in 2021. But Samsung has even bigger goals for its foldable lineup, expecting them to account for more than 50% of its premium smartphone shipments by 2025.
The statement was made by Samsung mobile chief Roh Tae-moon during a press conference in New York after the Galaxy ZFlip 4 Y fold 4 throw. What The Herald of Korea Roh reportedly told reporters that “by 2025, foldable items will take up more than 50 percent of Samsung’s total premium smartphone shipments.” Furthermore, he claimed that foldables would become the “new standard for smartphones.” For this to happen, Samsung’s foldable devices would have to outsell its flagship Galaxy S line within the next three years. Consumer interest in the latter has waned in recent years, with the company losing ground to Apple in the premium segment. But that’s easier said than done, especially given the high price of today’s foldable phones.
The foldable smartphone market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Counterpoint analyst Jene Park estimates that 16 million foldable smartphones will ship this year and 26 million units in 2023. As for Samsung, analysts expect the Korean giant to ship around 9 million units of the Z Fold. 4 and Flip 4 in 2022, against a combined total. 7.1 million flip 3 Y fold 3 Shipments last year. Selling more foldable smartphones is also good for the company’s bottom line, as their high price translates into a higher ASP (average selling price) and higher profit margins.
Even though foldable smartphones are in their early stages of development, Samsung is facing stiff competition from Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and other Chinese vendors in this segment, and that is sure to increase in the years to come. To reach its optimistic goal of selling at least 50% of foldable devices in the premium segment by 2025, the Korean company will have to do much more than launch devices with Iterative updates like Flip 4 and Fold 4.
