Samsung MX expects foldable market to grow 80% per year by 2025

Samsung’s mobile business, called Mobile Experience business by the company, took considerable time on its foldable smartphone strategy in a meeting with suppliers conducted during the third week of October, TheElec has learned.

During the meeting, Samsung shared with suppliers that it believes the foldable smartphone market will have a CAGR of 80% up to 2025.

The South Korean tech giant also shared its expectation that Apple will join the foldable space in 2024 but with notebooks and tablets first, not smartphones.

Samsung also shared that in the South Korean market, iPhone users in their 20s and 30s were changing their devices to Samsung’s foldable phones at a rate three to four times higher than before.

The tech giant also said that up to 90% of foldable smartphone users are expected to buy foldable smartphones as their next device as well.

Sources said while foldable smartphone only accounts for 1% of the total smartphone market, Samsung believes customers are showing high satisfaction and the sector is expected to grow exponentially.

Meanwhile, Samsung also shared some challenges that it believes its suppliers need to overcome for foldable phones to become even more popular.

Some of these challenges include: making the phones weigh less and thinner, and more durable, reducing the crease on the screen, having a designated slot for the S Pen, and improving the camera.

Samsung also asked that the vibration motor vibrate more and the development of new materials that can reduce the weight of foldable phones.

The tech giant had initially planned to have a designated slot for the S Pen on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Samsung had also wanted more high-end camera modules on the Fold 4 but these plans were also scrapped due to weight and thickness limitations.

Z Fold 4 weighs 263 grams __ heavier than iPhone 14 Pro’s 206 grams and iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 240 grams.

In terms of durability, Samsung’s ultimate aim was to make its foldable’s level to that of its previous flagship phones.

The development of software that fits the 4 to 3 ratio screen of the Fold series was also stressed during the meeting.