Samsung dethroned as king of foldable phones by Chinese rival

Samsung is up against intense competition from Chinese manufacturers while getting ready to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 worldwide.

Despite preparations for one of its most significant product launch events, Samsung has faced a major setback. According to reports, the South Korean smartphone brand has lost its dominant position in global 5G foldable phone shipments.

The global foldable phone market experienced a 49% increase in Q1, 2024, according to a report released by Counterpoint Research. This growth is attributed to the strong performance of Huawei in their home market, with shipments from the Chinese brand growing by 257%.

Counterpoint foldable phone shipment — Counterpoint

During the same period, Samsung’s market share saw a significant decline of 42%, bringing it to a total of 23%. This is a stark contrast to last year, when Samsung held a dominant 58% share and was well ahead of its closest competitor, Huawei, which only had a 14% share.

Despite impressive growth from brands like Motorola (owned by Lenovo) and Honor, Samsung was the only brand that experienced a decline.

Since its initial release of the Galaxy Fold in 2019, Samsung has maintained its dominance in the global foldable market. However, recent data shows that Motorola and Honor hold 12% and 11% of market shipments respectively, while other major brands such as Google, OnePlus, and Xiaomi make up a 19% share of global shipments.

According to the report, foldable phone enthusiasts have a preference for notebook-style devices. These large-screen phones have taken over a 55% share, surpassing flip-style foldable phones for the first time in three years.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Moto Razr Plus 2023

Despite facing tough competition from Chinese brands like Huawei, Honor, OnePlus, and Vivo, Samsung’s Z Flip phones have maintained their massive popularity due to their affordable pricing and wider availability. However, the number of Flip phones was surpassed by the combined introduction of book-styled foldable phones from these Chinese brands in the second half of 2023.

Both Motorola and Samsung have plans to release their latest foldable smartphones. The Motorola Razr (2024) series is scheduled for a June launch, while the Samsung foldable duo is expected to hit the market in July 2024.

Despite the opportunity for Motorola to solidify its position with the release of the new Razr phones, Samsung may face a fierce competition for the leading spot in foldable phone production.