Samsung, Huawei to Release Affordable Foldable Smartphones Next Year: Report

Huawei is reportedly working on a triple-foldable screen phone and it may go official by March next year.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 10 November 2023 14:59 IST

Samsung, Huawei to Release Affordable Foldable Smartphones Next Year: Report

Photo Credit: Huawei

Huawei Mate X2 foldable smartphone was launched in China February 2021

Highlights

13 smartphones were released within just three months
More brands could release higher-value foldable phone products in 2024
Two triple-foldable screen phones are expected to be introduced in 2024

Samsung was the first major OEM to bring foldable smartphones to the market. The South Korean brand that has released five iterations of the Galaxy Z Fold flagships, currently dominates the foldable market. A new media report says Samsung is shifting its focus to unveil foldables with affordable price tags starting next year. Meanwhile, Huawei is also reportedly gearing up to unveil competitively-priced foldable phones next year. Other Android manufacturers are expected to follow suit. Besides this, two triple-foldable screen phones are also said to go official next year.

As per a report by TrendForce, Samsung and Huawei will introduce more competitively priced foldable phones to the mid-range market next year to help reduce price barriers and make foldable phones more accessible. Huawei, which once dominated the foldable phone market, is reportedly working on a triple-foldable screen phone and it might go official before March next year. Two triple-foldable screen phones are expected to be introduced in 2024.

Android smartphone makers have been releasing new foldable phones in recent months. Over 13 foldable smartphones including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, OnePlus Open, Oppo Find N3, and Huawei Mate X5 were released within just three months.

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As per the report, the lowest price for foldable phones has dropped to CNY 3,659 (roughly Rs. ) in 2023. In 2024, more brands could release higher-value foldable phone products, thus accelerating the broader adoption of foldable phones. Further, the report states that by the end of 2023, shipments of foldable smartphones could skyrocket to 18.3 million units, marking a 43 percent year-on-year surge. In 2024, a 38 percent growth is expected, almost 25.2 million units. By 2027, shipments could soar to 70 million units, seizing around five percent of the global smartphone market.

The report sits in line with an earlier leak that claimed that Samsung is planning to unveil Fan Edition versions of the foldable phones starting next year. Samsung is said to unveil the Galaxy Z FE model after the debut of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 next year. More Android manufacturers are expected to follow suit, driving accelerated expansion in the foldable phone market.

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Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Oppo Find N3

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display (Primary) 7.82-inch

Front Camera 32-megapixel + 20-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 64-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 16GB

Storage 256GB

Battery Capacity 4,805mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 2,268x2,440 pixels

More Oppo mobiles Oppo mobiles price in India

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Vibrant displays, folding display is durable
Compact design when folded
Top-tier performance
Fast wireless charging for a foldable
Water-resistant design
Good quality primary camera

Bad
Cover screen functionality is limited
Battery barely lasts a day
Relatively slow wired charging
No macro camera

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review

Display (Primary) 6.70-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Front Camera 10-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

Battery Capacity 3700mAh

OS Android 13

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Very good build quality, IPX8 rated
Well-optimised software
Very good system and gaming performance
All-day battery life
Reliable cameras

Bad
Expensive
Still feels bulky

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review

Display (Primary) 7.60-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Front Camera 10-megapixel + 4-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Battery Capacity 4400mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 2176x1812 pixels

More Samsung mobiles Samsung mobiles price in India

OnePlus Open

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Slim and light foldable design
Excellent displays
Plenty of raw performance
Good for gaming
Speedy wired charging
Well-rounded cameras
Excellent battery life

Bad
No wireless charging
Basic IP rating

Read detailed OnePlus Open review

Display (Primary) 7.82-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Front Camera 20-megapixel + 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 64-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 16GB

Storage 512GB, 1TB

Battery Capacity 4800mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 2,440x2,268 pixels

More OnePlus mobiles OnePlus mobiles price in India

Huawei Mate X5

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display (Primary) 7.85-inch

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 13-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 512GB

Battery Capacity 5060mAh

OS HarmonyOS 4

Resolution 2496x2224 pixels

More Huawei mobiles Huawei mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Samsung, Huawei, Foldable Smartphones, Foldable Smartphone Market

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More