Samsung has the lion's share of the foldable market but it is apparently eager to change that

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and the Z Fold 2 are expected to be the most popular foldable smartphones this year according to a new report from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC).

Per the report, Samsung currently dominates the segment with a share of around 90 percent.

Foldable panel shipments are expected to rise a staggering 454 percent this year to 3.1 million units. The numbers could have looked better had the US restrictions not stopped Huawei from launching the Mate X2. The device was expected to generate a lot of sales in Q4 2020.

courtesy of DSCC’s Quarterly Foldable/Rollable Display Shipment and Technology Report

According to analytics firm IDC, smartphone shipments will total 1.2 billion units by the end of 2020. Although it’s clear that foldable phones only have a minuscule contribution in overall sales, the estimated growth rates show the segment has a lot of promise.

That’s evidently the reason why at least four companies including Google, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi are expected to come out with foldable devices of their own next year.

Samsung’s display arm is apparently eager for more companies to enter the market, as this would help it boost sales of displays and Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) cover solutions.

From the report:

Samsung Display is expected to become more aggressive in helping other brands enter the foldable market by selling them panels for the first time in 2021 including making UTG cover solutions available. It is not in Samsung Display’s interest to have just one major brand dominating the foldable market

Most rumors indicate that the South Korean giant will launch three foldable smartphones in 2021, with the exception of a recent one that says four bendable handsets are on the cards.

It is widely believed that Samsung wants its foldable phones to take center stage in 2021. For this very reason, the Galaxy Note 21 will apparently have a muted launch.

The tech titan reportedly wants to replace the Note series with the Galaxy Z lineup as the new flagship line of phones. To that end, it is apparently planning to extend S Pen compatibility to the upcoming Galaxy S21 Ultra and two of its upcoming bendable phones.

Whether the bet pays off remains to be seen, given that foldable phones are nowhere near as durable as conventional smartphones, and their prices are currently too steep for most consumers.

Samsung has the lion’s share of the foldable market but it is apparently eager to change that

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