Android Vendors Gearing Up for Foldable Phone Battle: Canalys

Major smartphone vendors “are getting ready to compete in the foldable category, which will become a vital part of their high-end strategies and corporate branding,” said Canalys analyst Amber Liu Monday. Canalys expects several foldable device launches in 2022 as vendors continue reducing thickness, weight and price, “vital for mass-market adoption,” Liu said. Leading players will begin differentiating with advanced features this year, she said. Foldable smartphone shipments will grow at a 53% compound annual growth rate to 30 million shipments from 2021-2024, Canalys forecast. The foldable segment grew 148% last year vs. 7% for the overall smartphone market, it said. Samsung is driving the market, having shipped 8.9 million units last year. Foldables provide “vital differentiation” as a way to spur sales, said analyst Toby Zhu, saying Android vendors are “under big pressure in the premium segment,” with under-$800 smartphone shipments falling 18% last year below the 2019 level; iOS shipments have grown 68% over the same period. In addition to hardware design innovations such as hinges, “the real battlefield for device vendors is the software user experience, which requires substantial investment in the user interface and capable software as the foldable app ecosystem is still far from optimal,” said Liu.