New ‘players’ in the foldable smartphone market in 2023

The truth is that foldable smartphones still excite many technology enthusiasts. Yet this particular smartphone format has not evolved much over the last ten years.

There is also no doubt that the biggest name in the foldables market has always been Samsung. The Korean technology giant has the largest market share in this category, and deservedly so. However, it looks as though Samsung's dominance will be challenged in 2023.

This development could be particularly positive for foldable smartphones, as their technology has stagnated in recent years. Devices such as the Galaxy Z Flip 4 are almost carbon copies of their predecessors.

Perhaps the main reason why the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 brought no notable improvements to Samsung's foldable range is that they remain the only readily available option for Western consumers in the foldable smartphone market.

Lack of competition

The vast majority of Samsung's competitors in foldable smartphones rarely launch their devices internationally. This means that Samsung has little incentive to innovate, given the limited competition.

New players in the market

However, this looks set to change. Chinese manufacturers of foldable devices will expand internationally, bringing their devices to more Western consumers. Oppo's new foldable smartphones (the Find N2 and the Find N2 Flip) are lightweight, have an almost invisible crease and fold shut without a gap. In terms of hardware, some Chinese foldables are superior to Samsung's in many respects.

If you put the Xiaomi Mix 2 Fold next to the Z Fold 4, the former looks like a much sleeker version of the latter. This competition could finally force Samsung to address a series of persistent problems plaguing its foldable smartphones. The question is not whether another manufacturer can dethrone Samsung; after all, the chances of that happening are very slim. However, it is important to put pressure on Samsung to make much-needed improvements to these phones.

Could Apple join the game too?

Competition is ultimately what drives product innovation in the smartphone world. Things will change dramatically if Apple decides to enter the foldable smartphone market too!

Reports suggest that Google will announce a foldable Pixel in the first half of 2023. This timing is very close to the debut of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 in August 2023.

Google has the financial resources needed to put pressure on Samsung, especially in the US. If Samsung loses even more ground in such an important market, it certainly will not sit back and do nothing.