IDC: The foldable phone market is expected to reach $29 billion in 2025

Driven by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, consumers' interest in clamshell and foldable smartphones has also increased significantly. In 2021 alone, its sales reached 7.1 million units, an increase of 264.3% from 1.9 million units in 2020. In addition, market intelligence company IDC predicts that the market is expected to grow to 27.6 million units in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 69.9% from 2020 to 2025.

Data map (from: Samsung)

By then, the share of foldable/clamshell smartphones is expected to more than double the current level, accounting for 1.7% of all smartphones.

IDC attributes much of the rapid growth to Samsung, which released the popular Galaxy Z Flip 3 in August last year and is expected to release the Galaxy Z Flip 4 / Z Fold 4 later this year.

Although the South Korean tech giant has not yet disclosed exact hardware sales figures, it has said that sales of foldable smartphones quadrupled in 2021.

(Source: IDC)

According to IDC data, the foldable smartphone market in 2021 is still relatively niche (accounting for 0.5% of the total), but Samsung is attracting more and more customers.

Citing information from trade-ins and other retailers, Android Central learned:

Samsung attracted 150% more new users from other brands than customers converted from the Galaxy Note 20. Users converted from the Galaxy S21 also increased by 140%.

Nabila Popal, research director at IDC, believes that Samsung's new products have cleared two major obstacles in this field - one is the high average selling price, and the other is the lack of confidence in the durability of the equipment.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 / Flip 3 is priced at around $1,000, while its durability has been greatly improved.

Although demand remains niche, they have shown the world that there is healthy consumer demand for foldable devices.

In just one quarter, the company doubled global sales. To me, that's a successful launch.

Finally, she said that the United States is the largest market for foldable products (about 35%), and the promotional activities and trade-in preferential policies of major operators have played a practical and effective role in promoting it.

Unfortunately, Samsung did not immediately respond to foreign media's request for comment.

From cnBeta.COM