NEW DELHI : The foldable smartphone market in India is expected to reach 0.8 million (8 lakh) units in 2024, down from the earlier forecast of 1 million (10 lakh) units, according to Counterpoint Research. Foldable smartphone shipments, however, grew 19% year-on-year in Q1 2024, with TECNO, Motorola, and OnePlus entering the segment. In terms of mobile brands, Samsung led the foldable market with a 79% share, with the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 accounting for half of the brand’s foldable shipments.
“The foldable smartphone market in India is still a niche segment and will likely remain so for a few years. As it faces competition from other premium devices, especially Apple iPhones, foldables must balance consumer demands, usability, design, and pricing. Trust is a significant factor for these high-priced devices, giving global players like Samsung an advantage,” said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research. According to the research firm, the book-type design held the highest share at 76% in Q1 2024, followed by clamshell smartphones at 24%. It expects the book-type design to continue growing in the future.
The research firm also noted that clamshell smartphones are particularly favoured by female users due to their compact design.
Currently, TECNO, Motorola, and OnePlus offer foldable devices. Recently, Chinese tech giant Vivo entered the Indian foldable phone market with the X Fold 3 Pro. With the launch of the X Fold 3 Pro, the company is directly challenging established players Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and the upcoming OnePlus Open. According to Counterpoint, the X Fold 3 Pro is among the first smartphones in India to be powered by Google’s next-generation Gemini Pro processor, promising a smoother and more powerful user experience.
Samsung launches 6th gen foldable phones
The first mover always has an advantage. South Korean tech giant Samsung launched its first foldable device back in 2019 and has seen increased adoption with each generation since. On Wednesday, Samsung launched its sixth-generation Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 foldables, which are much more refined in terms of design, hardware, and other essential features.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Priced starting from Rs 1,64,999 for the 256GB base variant, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The new foldables are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and offer up to 12GB of RAM and a whopping 1TB of storage. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a triple rear camera system that includes a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, a 50MP wide-angle sensor with OIS, and a 10MP telephoto lens with OIS. In terms of AI capabilities, the device handles many tasks with ease. For instance, its Note Assist feature offers translation, summaries, and auto-formatting for simple and easy meeting notes. The PDF overlay translation feature in Notes translates and overlays text in PDF files perfectly and even supports text in images and graphs. With the AI-powered Photo Ambient, the wallpaper changes in real-time based on the time and weather. Live Translate, which translates phone calls directly on your device in real-time, is now being extended beyond Samsung’s native calling app to a selection of popular third-party apps and many others.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6
Priced starting from Rs 1,09,999 for the 256GB model, the new Samsung Galaxy foldables will be available for pre-order from July 10, with sales starting on July 24 across many countries. The flip phone sports a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display when unfolded, while the cover screen measures 3.4 inches with a Super AMOLED panel and supports a 60Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 weighs 187 grams, the same as its predecessor. The new 50MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide sensors provide an upgraded camera experience with clear and crisp details in pictures. FlexCam continues to offer a versatile camera experience and unlocks new creative options. With the new Auto Zoom feature, FlexCam automatically finds the best framing for your shot by detecting the subject and adjusting the zoom level before making any necessary adjustments.