Samsung lagging behind Huawei in 'foldable phones'... "More groundbreaking products to come"

Huawei Launches 'Mate XT' Folding Twice Recently

Although Samsung Electronics was the first in the world to develop a foldable phone, it lost the lead in double-fold foldable phones to the Chinese company Huawei, and is now preparing a major counterattack. According to the IT industry, Samsung Electronics has recently been accelerating the development of double-fold smartphones and is eyeing the release timing.

Photo by Samsung Electronics

An industry insider said, "The double-fold foldable phone Samsung is preparing features reduced thickness and significantly improved usability compared to existing products," adding, "It will be a groundbreaking product with higher completeness than Huawei's products."

Samsung Electronics had already revealed patents and demonstration products for double-fold foldable phones in 2022. However, recently Huawei succeeded in commercializing a double-fold foldable phone with the 'Mate XT,' securing the market lead. Despite a launch price reaching as high as 4 million Korean won, over 6.5 million buyers flocked to the two-week pre-order sales. When fully unfolded, the screen size is 10.2 inches, comparable to the standard models of the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab. There is no need to carry a separate tablet.

Samsung is focusing on strengthening the connectivity of the three large screens. They are implementing a seamless continuation of the operating system (OS) and user interface (UI) used on the first screen to the second and third screens depending on the folding state.

Following Huawei, other Chinese companies including Xiaomi have also jumped into the trifold phone market. Recently, Xiaomi completed a patent application for the exterior design of a trifold phone. Chinese company Tecno is also expected to unveil a trifold phone next year.

As the offensive from Chinese smartphones continues, the duopoly of Samsung Electronics and Apple is being threatened. According to global market research firm Counterpoint Research on the 22nd, Xiaomi surpassed Apple to take second place, closely chasing first-place Samsung Electronics.