I am often not asked about the phone when I’m out and about it, unless it’s a folding phone. Then I usually listen to some versions of the same thing: “Oh, I thought about getting one of them! But then I just got (inserting a slab -style phone name).” My story is similar to the original sales data. Many people want to know about folding phones than the buyer of folding phones. Samsung does not make such a case, and, with all indications, is about to remove all stops in his packaged event on July 9. But is the ultra -name folding enough on the phone?
Weak sales are not for a lack of effort – Samsung is trying to sell us on a good part of the last decade, and Google also joined the game a few years ago. Motorola has had a great success in selling clam shell -style flip phones. Counterpoint research revealed that the brand’s foldable market share in 2024 increased by 253 % year by year. But this is a large piece of a very small pie. Trend Force estimates that in 2024 the total smartphone market foldables make up only 1.5 %. In the United States, Samsung was the oldest and fastest folding phone maker, but a half -dozen repetition of folding phones has not been able to make an important dent.
The company has confirmed that for the first time we will find a very branded fold, which will have a thin profile to counter the recent efforts of Honor and Oppo. Z. Philip 7 is likely to get a large, RazR -style screen that is mostly covered by the front panel, and we can probably see an cheaper per cheaper version with the old core screen design. It seems that some common complaints about foldables are being focused: they are very expensive and come with a more trade office than a slab -style phone.
I am not sure that it will be enough. Foldables are more sensitive to dust damage than a standard flagship phone. Despite saying years ago that it is pursuing a complete dust -proofing, it does not seem that Samsung has just fully broken the code on the IP68 rated foldable. Take a chance on an expensive phone that is less sustainable than your normal $ 1,000 flagship? This is a huge asking, especially with the prices of everything we buy.
However, it is not a punishment and sadness for the foldable. Analysts are putting a lot of stock in the rumors of the folding phone from Apple in 2026. If one or whatever can be said, at least in the United States, the market can help expand, and it may be that the growing tide arrows at the Samsung boat. Some new models targeting different pricing parts may be enough to grow Samsung’s market share once again – a strategy that has done better for the company in the past. The ultra -folded ultra -sunglasses may be pleased with some people who were about folding phones on the fence. And if anyone was occupying extra, okay, Samsung also covered it.
Photography of Allison Johnson / The Verge
