Figure: Figure worm
Source: 21tech
Author: Luo Yiqi
Editor: Li Qingyu
Driven by Samsung's vigorous promotion of various types of folding screen flagship mobile phones this year, the domestic camp has also added another member of the folding screen family. What is unusual is that this time it is the official starting price to start at the 7k yuan price segment.
On the afternoon of December 15, OPPO's first folding screen flagship Find N was released, and the two storage price segments of the configuration were priced at 7699 yuan and 8999 yuan respectively, which caused a sensation in the field - I have seen too many folding screens of tens of thousands of yuan, and in 2021, I finally saw a folding screen mobile phone with a price similar to that of high-end direct-screen mobile phones.
At the same time, this is also regarded by the industry as a noteworthy product like OPPO's previous high-end flagship, the first Find X series.
According to Liu Zuohu, senior vice president and chief product officer of OPPO, OPPO began to build folding screen products in 2018, and after 4 years and 6 generations of products, this has become "the most exciting product".
In today's mobile phone hardware innovation is becoming more and more bottlenecked, folding screen and off-screen camera technology are particularly valued and expected, and are also important node categories in the next stage of development. At present, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and other manufacturers have focused on releasing related products, and then Glory and vivo will also be expected to take over the baton next year. With the continuous exploration of the price segment of folding screen mobile phones, perhaps the wind of the new form of mobile phone category will also really blow up.
Bring the folding screen back to its original intention
For a long time, although folding screen mobile phones are occasionally listed, there are many problems that have been criticized: early products are often poor in durability, prone to problems such as splash screens; creases are easy to leave traces or large hinges; there are not many good applications that can be adapted. The most critical thing is that under these backgrounds, folding screen mobile phones are also extremely expensive.
This has led to a long period of time there is a perception that the same price can actually buy a good tablet, and there is a surplus, folding screen mobile phone can not be said to become a just need.
The price is too high for a reason: the screen is twice as large, the battery configuration that requires double parts, the hinge technology route needs to be explored and refined, etc., which brings the test of the original cost price, and at present, the shipment of folding screen mobile phones is not large, and it can even be said that it is too small, so it is impossible to reduce the cost pressure through the previous large-scale mass production.
Therefore, the definition of the previous folding screen mobile phone users in the market is: the business group that is not too price sensitive - but such a definition will inevitably lead to the folding screen mobile phone can not always go to the popularity, and the original intention of this category is contrary to the original intention.
It should be said that on the way to backward development, the "big screen" will inevitably become a very rigid existence, and it is imminent to seek a breakthrough in the research and development and application of folding screens.
Counterpoint analyst Qi Yingnan analyzed to the 21st Century Business Herald reporter that looking back at the development of smart phones, especially the content and applications they carry, will see that display technology plays an extremely important role behind it, and it can be said that the size of the screen largely determines the applications and content that mobile phones are suitable for carrying.
The development of the full screen to today, the screen of more than 6 inches has become the mainstream configuration, but to go further, the folding screen has become the current preferred technical solution, and the folding screen also conforms to the transformation of the mobile phone function from entertainment as the center to entertainment + mobile office (light productivity application) dual center, and can create differentiated flagship products for OEMs, especially the Android camp brand, and seize more high-end market share.
"Therefore, I think the folding screen will lead the shape change of flagship smartphone products in the next few years." But at the same time, we must see that the significance of the use of folding screen is mainly to provide a larger display area and optimized multi-window, multi-task function, in the long run, can freely change the size such as scroll screen technology may have an impact on the existing folding screen scheme, but the evolution trend of mobile phone screen to larger size, higher resolution and refresh rate is clear. He continued.
Therefore, how to make folding screen products in these years of research and development process continue to return to ease of use, durability, open form use frequency higher than closed form, etc., is a proposition that must be returned.
According to reports, the OPPO Find N external screen adopts a 5.49-inch screen with a ratio of 18:9, a 73mm fuselage width, and a 7.1-inch horizontal screen with a ratio of 8.4:9 after unfolding. The total weight is 275g, which is close to the weight of the protective case worn by the traditional flagship mobile phone.
In terms of hinges of extremely challenging technologies, OPPOFind N uses self-developed Seiko pseudo-vertebral hinge technology and contains 136 components. Certified by the Rheinland Laboratory in Germany, OPPO Find N reduces visual creases by up to 80% compared to traditional folding screen hinges.
The reporter inquired about the Jingdong platform and found that after the end of the conference on the same day, this new folding screen mobile phone was opened at 17:30 pre-sale to the release of the article has been in a state of no stock, of course, the follow-up will continue to start omni-channel sales.
Wang Xi, research manager of IDC China, believes that at present, in the folding screen market, OPPO Find N does have obvious differences in screen size and folding gaps; including image configuration and battery capacity are more competitive, and various software functions are also online.
"But all this is at the product level, when the 8+256G version of the folding screen flagship is put at a price of 7699 yuan, it is enough to become a catfish that stimulates the industry." He continued.
Or it will usher in the beginning of China's outbreak
From the manufacturers who are currently entering the commercial track of folding screens, Samsung is undoubtedly the most active. With the natural advantages in the screen, in addition to the mainstream horizontal folding that has been released, there are also vertical folding mobile phone products, and it is particularly actively promoted in the Chinese market - advertising space is overwhelming.
The results are already showing. Qi Yingnan told the 21st Century Business Herald reporter that at present, Samsung has a first-mover advantage and relatively mature folding screen related technologies and processes, and is far ahead in the market share.
"Counterpoint data shows that compared with the same period last year, Samsung's overall sales in China are basically stable, but the sales of folding screen models have increased significantly, especially the Galaxy Z Flip series is very popular with female consumer groups, and Samsung's advantages in folding screen products and technologies will help Samsung increase its share in the high-end market." He pointed it out.
From the perspective of the overall folding screen market, Counterpoint data shows that Samsung's folding screen mobile phone shipments in 2021 are expected to account for 84%, and Samsung will still maintain more than 60% of the proportion in 2022.
Qi Yingnan said that therefore, the current folding screen mobile phone in Samsung's dominant markets such as South Korea, the United States and Western Europe are more popular, and with the addition of more domestic Android manufacturers, China will achieve greater growth in 2022 and gradually become the world's largest folding screen mobile phone market.
Of course, the real large-scale popularization has not yet reached the point in time, after all, the price is still relatively high, and the adaptation application is also in the process of further opening.
"I think the focus of the current folding screen product optimization is still the content and application ecology, especially the optimization of light productivity tools, and creating a differentiated application experience is the driving force for the popularization of folding screens in flagship products." Qi Yingnan told reporters, "Of course, hinge technology, such as reducing thickness, diluting creases or increasing service life; and screen yield optimization, including reducing costs and improving reliability, will also help promote the popularity of folding screens." ”
According to Liu Zuohu, OPPO is opening up adaptation or compatibility for TOP1000 applications, TOP30000 applications, etc.
Overall, Qi Yingnan told reporters that it is expected that in 2022, folding screen mobile phones will account for more than 1% of the entire smartphone shipments for the first time, and there will be more Android first-line manufacturers to launch folding screen flagship products; and Apple's addition will bring about a significant increase in the proportion, which is expected to occur in 2024 and beyond.