The popularization of foldable phones... Galaxy Z sold 8 million units this year, quadrupling last year
Sales of Samsung Electronics' foldable smartphone 'Galaxy Z' series this year are estimated to be four times that of last year's. In an attempt to change the smartphone form factor (device type) that has been going on for over 10 years, it is evaluated that Samsung Electronics has made a mark with a 'smartphone with a foldable screen'.
According to Samsung Electronics on the 30th, sales of the Galaxy Z series this year have more than quadrupled compared to last year. The Galaxy Z series consists of the large-screen Galaxy Z Fold that folds horizontally (left and right) according to the direction in which the screen is folded, and the Galaxy Z Flip that folds vertically (top and bottom).
Considering that the smartphone industry estimated that the Galaxy Z sold 2 million units last year, more than 8 million units were sold this year alone. Market research firm Counterpoint Research predicts that the global foldable smartphone market will reach 9 million units this year, with Samsung Electronics accounting for 88%. In particular, while the size of the entire foldable market tripled from last year, the Galaxy Z series quadrupled, showing a faster sales growth rate than the overall market.
The success of the Galaxy Z series means that it has opened a new form factor era in the global smartphone market, where vertical bars (bar) products have been the mainstay since Apple's launch of the iPhone in 2007. After the release of the iPhone, Samsung Electronics released the 'Galaxy S' in the Android operating system (OS) camp, followed by Sony's 'Xperia' and Nokia's 'Lumia', but the basic form remained the same as the iPhone. For this reason, only competitions such as performance improvement of application processors (APs) and cameras and increases in memory and storage capacity were made without changing the form factor.
In 2016, LG Electronics released the world's first 'G5', which made it possible to attach and detach modules with each function such as camera, sound, and battery. 'Axon M' drew attention by introducing it, but it was not well-received by customers due to poor quality and usability. Samsung Electronics also introduced a smartphone with a built-in beam projector as well as a curved product called a 'tiled floor', but it was not enough. The 'Galaxy Note', which put a memo function on the screen of a large smartphone of 6 inches or larger, was released in 2011 and was released every year until last year, but it did not overturn the market with annual sales of about 10 million units.
If this trend continues, next year's Galaxy Z series sales will exceed 10 million units for the first time ever, and are expected to reach 22.5 million units in 2023. Counterpoint Research predicted that Apple's total foldable smartphone market will reach 30 million units by 2023, with Samsung Electronics accounting for 75%. Samsung Electronics' strategic smartphone release schedule, which was usually the Galaxy S in the first half (January-June) and the Galaxy Note in the second half (July-December), is set to become the Galaxy S in the first half and the Galaxy Z in the second half. Chinese companies such as Huawei and Oppo have followed Samsung Electronics to launch foldable smartphones, and in 2023, Apple is also expected to launch a foldable smartphone.
A Samsung Electronics official said, "As a result of our own investigation, the number of users who switched to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 after using a third-party smartphone was 1.5 times more than the Galaxy Note 20 series and 1.4 times more than the Galaxy S21 series. It seems that the 'hideaway hinge' that can be used has led to the consumer's choice," he said.