A new report into foldable phone sales has reported that shipments of foldable smartphones in 2024 was only 2.9% higher than in 2023, though analysts claim this does not necessarily point to a peak or a future contraction for the foldable market.
Instead, forecasters predict that while foldable sales in 2025 may also be disappointing - potentially even dipping slightly compared to 2024 - there could be a foldable resurgence in 2026. Reasons for this include the possible launch of Apple's long-speculated first foldable phone, along with increased production of foldables from other brands.
It's claimed that the current foldable stagnation could be a sign of the market's transition from being a niche segment mostly populated by expensive devices which therefore prevents widespread adoption, to a more mainstream sector with a greater range of more affordable offerings. Such a transition is essential if the foldable phone sector is to grow.
However, this isn't to say that foldable phones will necessarily replace conventional, non-foldable devices any time soon. While foldables offer greater screen area, this tends to come with compromises elsewhere, often in camera quality. In order to keep the folded profile a slim as possible, the thickness of each half of a foldable phone has to be extremely thin - just 4.2mm in the case of the Oppo Find N5. This in turn restricts the size of the camera sensor and lens that can be squeezed into this restricted space, and image quality is potentially compromised.
Until foldables can overcome these limitations, it would seem - for the short term at least - that there will continue to be demand for conventional flagship phones, with foldables existing alongside them for those that would rather trade camera performance for extra screen size.
Story credit: Counterpoint Research
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