Samsung says foldable phones are going mainstream as it shipped nearly 10 million units last year

A few weeks ahead of Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event, the tech giant revealed that its shipment of foldable phones increased by 300 percent last year. The company says this goes to show that foldable phones are transitioning from being niche products to becoming mainstream.

“Three years ago, Samsung Galaxy foldables could be summed up in a single word: radical. Very quickly, however, it became clear that this groundbreaking, flexible design fit perfectly into modern lifestyles,” Samsung head of Mobile Experience (MX) Business Dr. TM Roh said in an editorial post this week. “As a result, what was once a novelty three years ago, is now the preferred choice for millions.”

Roh revealed in the same post that it shipped nearly 10 million units of Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip worldwide last year. “That’s an industry increase of more than 300% from 2020,” Roh said. He added that he expects the growth in foldable phone shipments to continue.

The majority of the foldable phones shipped in 2021 were Galaxy Z Flip units. Samsung said 70 percent of its customers who purchased a foldable phone chose the device with a clamshell-type form factor. This might explain why the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 4 is prominently featured in teasers for the next Unpacked event. Meanwhile, Roh said nearly 1 out of 3 foldable phone customers chose the Galaxy Z Fold, describing it as the “ultimate productivity device.”

Over the last few years, tech fans saw Samsung implement significant changes in its hardware products pipeline. Consumers saw the company retiring the Galaxy Note line, while it also made foldable phones a regular part of its yearly product announcements. Samsung was also the first major player in the smartphone market to introduce foldable phones, and tech fans have seen other brands introduce their own products in the last year.

In Samsung’s case, it has maintained a two-device lineup of its annual Galaxy Z-series refresh. The next Unpacked event takes place on Wednesday, Aug. 10, where Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4.

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