2023-12-28 17:21:13
Kommersant FM columnist Alexander Levi tells which device models are more popular among buyers.
In the sluggish global mobile market of 2023, the only positive theme was devices with flexible displays. We are talking about models that fold like a book and along a horizontal axis, which, by analogy with the form factor of 20 years ago, are often called clamshells.
IDC analysts predicted the market for smartphones with flexible displays to be around $42 billion in money, and in terms of units, deliveries were expected to exceed 48 million units. Compared to 2022 results, the new figures were expected to show an increase of around 50%. In the first nine months alone, the number of new users increased significantly and grew by 60%. This means that the high cost, which is still strictly typical for folding devices, does not scare people. This is also confirmed by Counterpoint Research in the USA, for example. Almost a third of respondents would prefer a foldable phone as their next purchase.
Despite the above, it is worth recognizing the current niche status of the category. In total, all mobile gadgets with flexible displays make up only 1% of the total number of smartphones in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Australia, Kantar analysts calculated. In 2023, Samsung can still be considered the most popular manufacturer of foldable devices. The latest Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 series have broken pre-order records. In South Korea alone, the vendor’s homeland, more than a million pre-orders were placed for the latest models. Moreover, the audience’s interest in form factors is divided in a ratio of 70% to 30% in favor of clamshells, the results of IDC research showed.
It was Samsung that became the most preferred brand among devices with a flexible display, according to surveys in the United States. The South Korean brand was chosen by 46% of respondents. What is especially curious is that every fourth expressed a preference for Apple products, while the Cupertino team does not yet have a similar device in its lineup. I believe that it will be in 2024 that the Apple company will present its version of a folding device.
The Russian market is filled mostly with folding models made in China. And for users this is rather good, especially in terms of prices. The clamshell format is the most popular by the end of 2023. And in 2024, these circumstances are likely to intensify, including due to growing confidence in the device category and limited assortment by brand.
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