Forecast: Samsung to stay #1 in foldables, but its lead over Huawei will shrink significantly | Infinium-tech

Global foldable market is growing on “measured speed”, writes Trendforce In its latest report. The main obstacles for adoption are the same – durability, crease and of course, concern about value.

Analysts estimate that 19.8 million foldables will be sold this year, which would be 1.6% of the total smartphone market (the same fraction of last year).

Samsung currently ranks first on the global foldable market, although its lead on competition is expected to evaporate – predictions are looking at it from 45.2% to 35.4% this year last year.

This will put only one hair ahead of Huawei, whose market share is expected to be slightly less than 35.2% last year, which has increased to 34.2% this year. This will leave more than one percent point between the two companies.

Many other manufacturers are running – their shares are small but growing. For example, honor and Motorola had 6% and 5.5% market share in 2024 and is expected to go up to 9.1% and 7.6% this year.

Combined numbers for Oppo and Vivo are predicted to capture 8.5% of the market. Meanwhile, Xiaomi will increase from 3% to 5.1% this year.

Trendforce It is estimated that the global foldable market will continue to grow its slow but steady growth in the near future. One thing that can actually shake things is Apple entering the market.

This may be the same as the next year, already with the order of the foldable display panel placed with the Samsung display. Apple focuses on allegedly using liquid metal to eliminate the crease and strengthen the phone. As a third concern, which people have, well, no one expects the Apple device to be cheap – at least from its first foldable.

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