For four years, Samsung has enjoyed almost a monopoly in the foldable smartphone segment in India and abroad. However, with the planned entry of the likes of Chinese smartphone brands such as Oppo and Tecno, and US major Google, in this segment, Samsung’s stronghold of the market is under threat. But this only spells good news for consumers who will have more choice — and cheaper models — in the category, which grew 27% on year in 2022, as per Counterpoint Research. Subhrojit Mallick takes a deeper look.
FOLDABLE SMARTPHONES
- Displays that can bend and fold
- Assisted by a minutely engineered hinge
- Features sport latest in innovation trends
ADVANTAGES
- Bigger screen in a smaller form factor
- Book-type foldable phones open horizontally to a wider tablet-like display
- Take up lesser space than average smarphone in purse
- Great for reading, multitasking, and multimedia consumption
DRAWBACKS
- Moving parts, particularly the hinge, could make robustness questionable
- Possibility of a crease in the middle of the screen, disrupting the experience
- Steep prices
WHO ARE THE NEW PLAYERS?
- Tecno: Phantom V Fold to launch in India in Q2 2023
- Oppo: Announced Find N2 Flip in India in March
- Google: Expected to launch fi rst folding phone in May
PRICES
- Samsung: Priced over Rs 1,50,000
- Oppo: Under Rs 90,000 in India
- Tecno: Likely price to be below Rs 1 lakh
Bank offers, no-cost EMI plans, loyalty bonus will make phones more affordable.CAVEAT
“Chinese handset companies are in their fi rst iterative stages of this form factor and the experience of their folding phones may leave much to be desired.”
