Samsung is preparing to have Apple as its competition in the foldable market by 2024, according to a recent report by The Elec.
The publication learned that Samsung’s Mobile Experience division was discussing its competition’s potential introduction into the foldable market during a meeting with suppliers that took place during the third week of October. Samsung supposedly spoke of Apple launching foldable notebooks and tablets to market in 2024 as opposed to smartphones.
Some of the most recent reports about Apple’s foldable come from TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who suggests that the brand might release a 9-inch foldable by 2025 at the latest. With Samsung’s current Galaxy Z Fold 4 having a 7.6-inch fold-out screen and its Galaxy Z Flip 4 having a 6.2-inch display at its widest, Apple’s foldable would indeed be much larger and serve a different audience.
This is likely a plus for Samsung as the brand could have a hold on the foldable smartphone market for some time longer. The brand discussed with its suppliers that the foldable smartphone market is set to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 80 percent up to 2025, adding that it expected up to 90 percent of foldable smartphone users plan to upgrade to a new foldable smartphone as their next device.
With Apple still not in the foldable market, Samsung explained to its suppliers that iPhone users in their 20s and 30s were opting for Samsung’s foldable phone at three to four times the rates than previously seen. This is likely to explain an upcoming need for greater supplies, such as a designated slot for the S Pen, improved cameras, and lighter materials that will make foldable handsets weigh less. These are all features the brand had planned for the current Galaxy Z Fold 4; however, Apple making headway in the foldable space might give Samsung some inspiration to add these features to its own upcoming foldables.
Samsung has plans to make its future foldables more closely match the weight of various slate smartphones on the market. It also discussed in the meeting its plans to have future Galaxy Fold devices meet the 4 to 3 screen ratio through software development, The Elec added.
