- OPPO and Vivo could leave the folding phone market.
- Samsung and Huawei could gain the most out of the situation.
- Huawei could begin mass production of its trifold smartphone soon. We have the expected launch timeline.
OPPO and Vivo are reportedly considering exiting the folding phone market. This could leave the market in the hands of Huawei and Samsung. While the latter is the segment’s leader, Huawei could capitalize on the rumoured exit of its Chinese peers with a trifold folding phone. Here’s what we know about this situation.
OPPO and Vivo’s alleged exit from folding phone business
As per a report by the Korean Economic Daily, OPPO and Vivo may quit the folding phone business owing to lacklustre prospects.
The two Chinese firms are behind other incumbents like Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi in the global smartphone market share. Even on their home turf, they are behind the likes of Honor, and Huawei.
If OPPO and Vivo quit the folding phone business, Samsung and Huawei will gain the most. The South Korean chaebol has had a headstart in the folding phone market and thus is the leader. It would clearly benefit from the exit of these two BBK companies.
However, it is Huawei that the Korean publication thinks is the clear benefactor of this situation.
Huawei trifold smartphone plans (rumoured)
- Design: It could fold twice in a Z shape.
- Display: The Huawei tri-fold phone could sport a 10-inch screen whence in the unfolded state.
- Launch timeline: It is expected to release the world’s first triple-folding phone in H1, 2024. It is apparently already gearing up for mass production.
- Expected sale: The Korean report claims Huawei could sell more than 130 million units in a year.
Since the foldable of this kind would work like a tablet that gets folded into a phone-like size, this could eat up the tablet market. So, it could be a threat to Apple’s iPad business, at least in China. It was able to surpass Apple’s sales in the Chinese market in the first 2 weeks of this year.
However, Apple isn’t resting on its laurels either. It is rumoured to be working on folding iPhones that fold horizontally and their final production could happen as early as 2026.
Samsung, meanwhile has apparently finished making rollable displays that curl and the market is waiting for a rolling Galaxy smartphone from it.
So, a lot of things are shaking up in the smartphone space. Stay tuned for more updates.
