New Delhi, July 23
As Samsung prepares to unfold a new era of foldable smartphones next week, industry experts on Sunday said the fifth-generation of devices are expected to drive more display real estate, especially for Galaxy Flip, making its more usable along with better flagship-grade cameras in Folds.
Further, the users would cherish once Samsung makes the Galaxy Fold thinner, lighter with less visible crease in the upcoming series and future iterations.
"Samsung has pioneered this category and its fifth-generation foldables, with more improvements in design, fold engineering and deeper, optimised software-apps partnerships would cement its leadership in terms of both design and experience curve,†Neil Shah, research vice president at Counterpoint Research, told IANS.
The foldable smartphones are likely to climb to more than 50 million units by 2025 and over 100 million in annual sales by 2027 globally.
This is driven by the premiumisation trend and maturing user base, looking to differentiate and do more with their smartphones.
“The Samsung foldable form-factor allows users to achieve both,†said Shah.
In 2023, the global shipments of foldable phones, including flip and fold form factors, are expected to reach 21.4 million units, representing an increase of more than 50 per cent over the 14.2 million units shipped in 2022, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).
The foldable phones remain the one positive talking point in a market that declined more than 11 per cent in 2022.
The recent success and projected development of this segment indicate a healthy demand for this expanding form factor. Despite a slight drop in average selling prices (ASPs), foldables stay in the premium price segments in all regional markets, including India.
As per CyberMedia Research (CMR)'s estimates, foldable smartphone shipments in 2023 are projected to surge 65 per cent year-on-year. Foldables smartphones in the price range of Rs 60,000 to Rs 75,000 are expected to grow five times by 2026 in India.
“With its fifth generation of foldables, Samsung will aim to spark interest amongst mainstream consumers. Samsung's persistence with the foldable form factor, sustained product innovations and continuous investments have contributed to a refined foldable experience,†Prabhu Ram, Head - Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, told IANS.
Samsung's 'Galaxy Unpacked' event is set to take place on July 26 in South Korea, during which it would unveil new foldables along with other devices.
"We have distilled the Samsung design philosophy into three Design Identities, each one with you at the centre: our products must be Essential, Innovative, and Harmonious," according to TM Roh, President and Head of MX Business at Samsung Electronics.
These three ‘design identities’ are ‘exemplified’ by the company's latest hardware and software ecosystem.
He said that the act of folding and unfolding a smartphone seems simple, but that simplicity users feel is only achieved through a "rigorous focus on what is most essential and intuitive."
"We've raised the standards for foldable smartphone ergonomics," Roh added.
The company has made the latest foldables slimmer and lighter than the previous generations.
