South Korean media outlets have been drawing comparisons between Samsung Electronics (Samsung) and Huawei following the latter's release of the world's first trifold phone. Not only has Samsung missed the opportunity to claim the title of "world's first trifold phone," but its new foldable phone, the Galaxy Z6 series, has also underperformed in sales expectations.
Industry insiders suggest that Samsung's Mobile eXperience (MX) division may have prioritized cost reduction at the expense of innovation.
South Korea-based media TheElec highlighted that while Samsung has been leading the foldable phone market, it has allowed Huawei to take the initiative in the emerging trifold phone segment with the release of the "Mate XT Ultimate."
Samsung's history with trifold phone technology dates back to 2021 when the company filed trifold phone-related patents in South Korea and the United States. However, these designs differed from the Z-shaped double fold of Huawei's Mate X3.
Despite this early research, Samsung has not announced any immediate plans to release a trifold phone. According to sources, Samsung and Samsung Display (SDC) have shifted their focus towards developing rollable phones.
Rumors suggest that Samsung's rollable mobile device will feature a 12.4-inch screen with Under Display Cameras (UDCs). Speculation points to a potential release in the second half of 2025.
The public has criticized Samsung for allowing Huawei to claim the title of "world's first trifold phone." An insider revealed that Samsung's MX department, responsible for the company's mobile phone business, has recently prioritized cost reduction to improve profitability.
Another source noted that Samsung discontinued the production of prototypes for regular mobile phone sales channels in 2024, highlighting the company's intense focus on cost-cutting measures.
Galaxy S24 and Z6 series fall short of sales expectations
Samsung's new Galaxy S24 and Galaxy Z6 series, both released in 2024, have failed to meet sales projections.
Initially, South Korean securities firms estimated sales of 35-36 million units for the Galaxy S24. However, according to Equity Research, the Galaxy S24 only sold 23.4 million units in the seven months following its release.
Analysts suggest that while the Galaxy S24 generated interest with its "Galaxy AI" feature, its hardware specifications were not significantly different from the previous generation.
The Galaxy Z6 series faces a similar challenge, emphasizing AI functionality but offering minimal hardware improvements over its predecessor. As a result, the Galaxy Z6 series received only 910,000 pre-orders, down from the Galaxy Z5 series' 1.2 million pre-orders in 2023.
Although market research agencies differ in their assessments, there is consensus that Samsung's dominance in the foldable phone market is under threat. A representative from Counterpoint Research stated that while Samsung is expected to maintain its lead in the global foldable phone market, the gap between Samsung and its competitors is likely to narrow significantly.
