A few years after their release and foldable smartphones still seem like an expensive gimmick and not a highly sought-after feature, despite Samsung and Huawei offering pretty good devices.
However, it seems like that perception could soon change, according to the well-known display analyst Ross Young.
DSCC Releases Latest Foldable Report. Huge growth expected in 2H'21. https://t.co/UK3TNOwCnx pic.twitter.com/quWYDezBfR
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) March 8, 2021
According to DSCC CEO Young, in Q4 2021, foldable/rollable smartphone shipments are expected to be bigger than all of 2020 to Q2 of 2021 combined. Young says that there are a few reasons for this, including Samsung delaying the launch of its 2021 foldables to Q3 2021. Samsung plans to position its Z Fold line-up as its second flagship series, replacing the Note lineup, says the report. Additionally, the company will introduce a more aggressively priced version of their clamshell foldable.
The report also indicates that the Z Flip was the most popular foldable smartphone in Q4 2020, followed by the Galaxy Z Fold 2, so it makes sense for Samsung to sell a more affordable Z Flip device as foldable technology becomes cheaper for the tech giant to produce.
Further, in the second half of 2021, Samsung will start selling its foldable Ultra-thin Glass panels to other brands, which should lead to more foldables from other OEMs. This goes in line with a report from ETNews back in January, which indicated that Samsung was planning to ship up to one million foldable panels to Chinese phone manufacturers.
Ross says that we should expect to see at least 12 different foldable and rollable smartphones from at least eight brands, including Xiaomi, Huawei, TCL and more. This will result in foldable/rollable shipments reaching up to 5.1 million units this year. Samsung is predicted to remain at the top of the market with an 81 percent market share.
Source: DSCC
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