Folding cell phones continue to climb (with little success) to try to conquer the public. Numerically, 2023 is expected to be an exemplary year for this segment. According to IDC data, More than 50% growth although the market share they represent will continue to be insignificant compared to last year. There are still challenges to overcome if the future is to be foldable.

Sales will double by 2022, according to IDC. 21.4 million units shipped in 2023, which is IDC’s estimate (which is usually pretty close in their reporting). This represents an increase of more than 50% compared to the 14.2 million units shipped in 2022.

Growing numbers in a falling market. It’s interesting that the projections for foldable phones are so rosy, with phone sales falling into a deep depression (down 11% from last year). In 2022, folding sales increased by 75.5%, and growth of more than 50% is expected for 2023 this year.

not enough. 14.2 million foldable phones shipped in 2022. This represents an insignificant 1.2% market share in the global market. The forecast for 2027 on the IDC side is extremely positive for this segment: they tell us 48.1 million units have been reached.

This assumes a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.6% from 2022 to 2027. Really? Even if this growth is achieved, foldable mobile phones will have a 3.5% market share by 2027.

IDC is not alone. Looking at the data from Canalys, the estimates are on this line. The consultant tells us that there is more than 50% growth by 2024 and estimates close to 35 million shipments for the course in question.

Apple, without stepping. Apple represents over 70% of the premium market. It has been rumored that the company has been working on a folding device for a while, but they do not dare (or do not see the moment) to release this proposal. Samsung is the protagonist of this business, 9 out of 10 products sold in the world belong to them.

Price is the key factor. One of the important points for the democratization of folding is the price. If they want to be mainstream, They need to significantly lower their final bills. Shell foldables, although not up to the mark, are still over 1,000 euros, if we want a tablet foldable, we’re talking about 2,000 euros.

Image | xataka

on Xataka | OPPO has the key to folding clamshell phones to success, but I’m missing one more step