What will it take for the foldable phone to go from novelty to mainstream? Example shown: Samsung … [+]
In recent years, phone makers have been experimenting with new designs and features to make phones more compact and convenient to carry. One of the most intriguing innovations is the foldable phone. A foldable phone is precisely what it sounds like: a phone that can fold in half like a wallet. This feature makes the phone much more compact when not in use, making it easy to slip into a pocket or purse.
Foldable phones are still relatively new to the market, so a few issues need to be ironed out. For one, the folding mechanism isn’t always as smooth as it could be. Additionally, foldable phones tend to be more expensive than traditional phones, so they might not be the best option for everyone. However, despite these drawbacks, foldable phones offer a unique and convenient way to stay connected while on the go.
When I saw the first foldable displays at the Display conference in 2017, I was very excited about this technological advancement. Although the ones I saw from BOE and Samsung that year were prototypes, it was easy to see their potential for smartphone use.
When I pushed BOE and Samsung at this Display conference to tell me when they might deliver market-ready foldable displays, they only said they hoped to bring them to market in 2019. Indeed, 2019 is when Samsung introduced its first foldable phone, and they were the most aggressive company to release smartphones with foldable screens.
Recently, TM Roh, the president of Samsung Mobile wrote an article about Samsung’s role in folding phones-
He noted that-
“We saw an opportunity to not only design a new form, but to create new experiences that had never been possible with a smartphone before. Overcoming many technological hurdles, we successfully introduced the first-ever foldable Galaxy smartphone. in 2019 and have changed the future of our industry since then.
Last year we saw nearly 10 million foldable smartphones shipped worldwide. That’s an industry increase of over 300% from 2020, and I predict this rapid growth will continue. We’re coming at a time when these foldable devices are going mainstream and claiming a bigger place in the overall smartphone market.”
Mr. Roh added that-
“Three years ago, Galaxy foldables could be summed up in one word: radical. Very quickly, however, it became clear that this revolutionary and flexible design fits perfectly into modern lifestyles. As a result, what was once a novelty three years ago is now the preferred choice of millions.”
Roh pointed out that Galaxy Flips accounted for 70% of their foldable phones sold in 2021.
While this is good news for Samsung and the burgeoning foldable smartphone market, in the grand scheme of smartphones sold each year, it’s a drop in the bucket. According to IDC, 1.38 billion smartphones were shipped worldwide in 2021. Today, 10 million foldable phones is a good start. However, I’m not ready to see foldable phones as a novelty yet or call them a mainstream smartphone.
While Samsung, Motorola, LG and others are poised to push foldable phones aggressively, the only company that could drive demand for foldable phones more significantly would be Apple.
Back in 2018, after spending time with some of the flexible display companies, I foolishly predicted that Apple might release a foldable phone in 2019. I knew they had a relationship with BOE, and BOE was aggressively pushing all of their customers to use their new folding displays.
Of course, Apple didn’t introduce a foldable phone in 2019, and as far as I know they showed very little interest in making a foldable iPhone. That’s not to say they haven’t researched foldable phones at the design level. Yet they haven’t indicated that a foldable iPhone is on the proverbial drawing board.
I personally tested Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold2 and liked how it worked and what it offered. But it’s still too expensive for the mainstream market. Although the Galaxy Z Flip has a lower price, it also comes in the more premium smartphone category. While it sold exceptionally well, especially in South Korea, it’s far from a real hit in the wider smartphone market.
On August 10, 2022, Samsung will hold their next “Unpacked Event-Unfold your World”, clearly suggesting that they will introduce new foldable phones.
This event will give us a glimpse of Samsung’s updated thinking and designs in foldable smartphones and should give us a better idea of the increased interest they will generate from mainstream users.
However, given Apple’s history of pushing forward a new design or form factor, I suspect that if folding smartphones gain traction, it won’t come until Apple enters that market. Otherwise, the growth of folding smartphones will most likely be more gradual, and it may take significantly lower prices to move the needle forward.