Huawei’s rise in foldables isn’t Samsung’s urgent threat, it’s something else
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Huawei’s rise in foldables isn’t Samsung’s urgent threat, it’s something else
Samsung is expected to dominate the foldable phone market in the next few years. However, it faces competition from the likes of Huawei and Xiaomi. Apple is also expected to launch a foldable handset in the coming years. The company is also set to launch its first foldable smartphone in 2018. The Galaxy S8 is set to be the first of the new generation of foldable phones.
Samsung has long enjoyed a dominant position in the global foldable phone market. It has fully capitalized on the first-mover advantage, after launching its very first Galaxy Fold back in 2019.
The company continues to expand its lineup but it also faces increasing competition from the likes of Huawei. Even as the Chinese giant is expected to eat into Samsung’s market share, it shouldn’t worry the company too much.
Huawei still can’t access one of Samsung’s most important markets
A new report by TrendForce highlights the potential for a foldable market boom in 2026. Samsung is well positioned to capitalize on it as its recent Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 phones have increased confidence in its foldables. Advertisement
However, it’s expected that Samsung’s market share in the foldable segment will decline from 45.2% in 2024 to 35.4% in 2025. It will largely be due to Huawei’s rising share as well as sustained progress from the likes of Honor and Lenovo.
Huawei’s the top player in China and other local companies are finding traction, too. However, Huawei’s dominance is limited primarily to China only, as the lack of a full-fledged Android experience and inability to sell in North America makes competing with Samsung’s foldables next to impossible.
While Lenovo’s Motorola has been able to make inroads in some of Samsung’s key markets across the west, other manufacturers like Oppo and Xiaomi still don’t present as big of a threat to Samsung in foldables as they would particularly in emerging markets. Advertisement
Samsung’s biggest threat would come from Apple which is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026. Given Apple’s dominance in the US, Samsung’s foldables will face tougher competition in this key market once they arrive.