What Has Changed Since Foldable Smartphones Debuted in 2019?
Smartphone manufacturers introduced foldable smartphones in 2019. We recall touring the Samsung, Huawei, and TCL stands looking at the folding displays. It was clear they were not quite ready for primetime. The phones were kept in glass displays away from human hands so no one would mangle the screens or display.
The engineering to ensure that the folding joint were sturdy and screens would not crease was significant. But here we are in 2022 and manufacturers like Samsung, Huawei, and Motorola all continue do improve on the designs. In addition, they have put a huge amount of marketing effort into selling foldable devices.
Today, foldable phones are no longer in glass cases. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is the most popular folding smartphone in the world, with 47% of global foldable device usage. However, adoption is still very low. Only 0.36% of smartphone usage comes from foldable devices.
Samsung Dominates Foldable Devices
Samsung has invested an huge amount of marketing into the foldable market. Samsung manufactures 8 of the top 10 most used foldable smartphones. 97% of all usage from foldable devices manufactured by Samsung. Huawei, Xiaomi, Motorola, OPPO, and Microsoft all have foldable smartphones on the top list, but they are far from popular.
Clamshell or Booklet Foldable Smartphones
At this stage in 2022, neither clamshell or booklet style form factors are clear winners. Clamshell form factor has 0.20% vs. booklet with 0.16%. In fact, that means that the clear winner in 2022 is the non-foldable smartphone with 99.64% of usage.
Is Foldable Adoption About to Break into Mainstream?
Samsung remains committed to the foldable market. After all, isn’t a larger screen the key to a better user experience? The Mobile Overview Report (MOVR) will continue to track whether this bet pays off.
Download the MOVR 2022 Q3 for breakdown by continent
The most recent MOVR provides detailed analysis of N. America, Europe,and Asian foldable smartphone markets.
