Samsung expected to be replaced as top foldable phone manufacturer during first quarter،
Chances are, if I asked you to name the company that is the world's leading manufacturer of foldable smartphones, you would know it was Samsung. Since the company launched the Galaxy Fold in 2019 and added the Galaxy Z Flip the following year, Samsung has been the king of foldable devices. But by Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), a new name is expected to succeed Sammy in the current quarter and he was also one of the first to release a foldable phone. That would be Huawei.
First, let's recap the fourth quarter of 2023. From the beginning of October to the end of December, 4.2 million foldable phones were shipped, representing the fourth highest quarterly total to date. Samsung continued to dominate the foldable market in Q4 2023, even though the number of Galaxy Z fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 units sold by retailers were lower than expected. Huawei and its former sub-unit Honor gained market share during the period.
Samsung was responsible for four of the ten best-selling foldable models in the last three months of last year. Oppo and Honor each had two of their foldable phones on the list while Huawei and Xiaomi each placed a model in the top ten. The list was led by Galaxy Z Flip 5 with the Huawei Mate X4 next. The rest of the top five includes the Honor Magic Vs2, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Oppo Find N3 Flip.
Quarterly Breakdown of the Global Foldable Phone Market
Huawei's rise to first place will take place in the first and second quarter of 2024 according to DSCC and will be driven by sales of the Mate X5 and Pocket 2. Samsung will not offer its new generation foldable phones until the third quarter where we expect to see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 revealed and released.
DSCC expects Huawei and Honor to increase their foldable market share this year, while Oppo and Vivo are expected to lose market share as neither manufacturer plans to refresh its clamshell foldable models due to pricing and demand issues in China. Nonetheless, clamshell foldables are expected to increase their overall share of the foldable market this year, according to DSCC. Huawei is expected to deliver two new clamshell foldables this year and refreshed models are expected from Honor, Motorola and Samsung.
For the current first quarter of 2024, DSCC calls for a foldable phone the market is expected to grow by 105% year-on-year.
