The foldable smartphone market is constantly evolving and sees two giants in the sector as protagonists: Huawei e Samsung. Both are working on new models that promise to revolutionize the design and functionality of mobile devices, offering larger and more versatile screens. But not all manufacturers seem willing to follow this trend: according to a rumor coming from China, OPPO e Living they would have decided to abandon the foldable market, due to low demand and strong competition.
OPPO and Vivo withdraw from the foldable challenge, Huawei and Samsung raise the stakes
OPPO e Living they are two Chinese brands that are part of the BBK Electronics group, together with OnePlus and Realme. In recent years, they have gained popularity thanks to quality smartphones at competitive prices, focusing on attractive designs, advanced cameras and fast charging. However, it seems that they have not been able to seize the opportunity offered by foldables, which represent the most innovative and dynamic segment of the market.
According to the report of ETNews, OPPO and Vivo would have recorded a significant loss of market share in the foldable sector in 2023, despite having launched some interesting models, such as theOPPO Find N2 Flip and the Vivo NEX Fold. The result was a commercial flop, which would have pushed the two brands to give up developing further foldables, at least for the moment.
The decision by OPPO and Vivo leaves the field open to Huawei and Samsung, which are the undisputed leaders of the foldable market, with a combined share of 86% in 2023, according to data from Counterpoint Research. The two giants are preparing the launch of new models that could further raise the bar in terms of performance and design.
Huawei, China's leading smartphone manufacturer, has announced that it will introduce its first dual-hinge foldable smartphone by the first half of 2024. This is a device that transforms into a tablet from 10 inches when it is fully open, and which aims to conquer the tablet market, dominated by Apple's iPad. The device will be equipped with a 5.300 mAh battery with 66W super fast charging, and one 50 megapixel quad rear camera. The price, however, will be very high, we are talking about over 2.000 euro.
Samsung, the Korean technology giant, is not intimidated and has several new features in store for 2024. Samsung could in fact present its first smartphone with a rollable screen, the Galaxy Z Slide, which will have one screen that extends from 6,4 to 7,6 inches thanks to a sliding mechanism. The new model will have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 256 GB internal memory, one 4.000 mAh battery with wireless charging, and a 64-megapixel triple rear camera. The price will be around 1.500 euros.
