Despite Samsung, Huawei Hiccups, Foldable Phone Sales Will 'Skyrocket,' Says ABI

After Apple’s fall smartphone release Tuesday, ABI Research projected shipments of smartphones with foldable, flexible or rollable displays will begin picking up as early as next year, growing to 228 million units by 2028. New phones' Improved speed and bandwidth aren’t keeping up with annual circulation of updated models, said ABI, and camera image quality “isn't getting much clearer and screen sizes in their current form aren't getting much larger.” Foldable and flexible display screens could be a way to offer larger-screened options “without burdening consumers with bulky, unwieldy devices,” it said. Early attempts at foldable phones, such as the Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate, showed the difficulty of creating a bendable screen without compromising the form factor, it said. ABI predicts once kinks are worked out, demand for foldable phones will “skyrocket.”