1. The technical development process of folding screen mobile phones
As a major innovation in the field of smart phones in recent years, the development history of folding screen mobile phones can be traced back to more than ten years ago. As early as the late 2000s, some technology companies began to try to develop foldable phones, but the technology at that time could not be truly commercialized.
It wasn't until 2013 that Samsung launched its first flexible OLED screen phone, the Galaxy Round, which was seen as the beginning of the development of foldable screen phones. In the following years, Samsung, Huawei and other manufacturers have successively launched some foldable mobile phone prototypes to explore the market prospects of this emerging field.
In 2019, Samsung launched the Galaxy Fold, which is seen as the first foldable smartphone in the true sense of the word. Although the model encountered some quality problems in the early days of its launch, it was unveiled in the market with its innovative design, which set off widespread attention from the entire industry to foldable phones.
Subsequently, Huawei, OPPO, vivo and other manufacturers have also launched their own folding screen mobile phone products. 2020 is known as the "first year of folding screens" in the industry, and a competition for technological innovation has been set off in the industry.
After several years of market baptism, folding screen mobile phones are developing in a more mature and practical direction. Key technologies such as screen material, hinge design, and system optimization are constantly improving, making the experience of folding screen phones closer and closer to traditional straight phones. This paved the way for the mass commercialization of this new smartphone product.
Second, the market status and trend of folding screen mobile phones
With the continuous advancement of technology, folding screen mobile phones have also shown good market performance in recent years. According to the latest report released by IDC, domestic folding screen mobile phone shipments will reach 1.86 million units in the first quarter of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 83%.
Among them, Huawei still occupies half of the domestic folding screen mobile phone market, with a market share of 44.1%, maintaining its leading position in the industry. It is followed by Honor with a market share of 26.7%, ranking second. Vivo and OPPO ranked third and fourth, respectively, with market shares of 12.6% and 9.0%, respectively. Samsung slipped to fifth place, with a market share of just 5.9%.
From this data, it can be seen that folding screen mobile phones are moving from technical concepts to commercialization and gradually entering the mainstream market. Some manufacturers have taken the lead in occupying a place in this market segment by virtue of their own technological advantages and brand influence. But at the same time, it is also facing fierce competition from other brands.
From the perspective of the overall trend, the domestic folding screen mobile phone market is showing the following characteristics:
The performance of the product is constantly improving to meet the needs of users. With the advancement of technology, the new generation of folding screen mobile phones has significantly improved in terms of screen quality and battery life, and the user experience is closer to that of straight phones. This helps foldable phones go to the mass market.
Brand competition has intensified further. Major mobile phone manufacturers have increased their investment in the field of folding screen mobile phones and launched new products to seize market share. The competition between the top companies and the latecomers is becoming increasingly fierce.
Price remains a key factor influencing mass acceptance. Although the performance of foldable phones has improved, their prices are still on the high side compared to regular smartphones, which limits the willingness of mass consumers to buy to a certain extent.
To sum up, folding screen phones are in a critical period of transition from a technical concept to a mass market. Whether it can truly achieve large-scale penetration in the future requires manufacturers to further optimize product performance and price to meet the needs of consumers.
3. The impact of folding screen mobile phones on the industry pattern
The rise of folding screen mobile phones has not only triggered technological innovation competition, but also had a profound impact on the pattern of the entire smartphone industry.
First of all, it has changed the competitiveness landscape of manufacturers in the industry. In the past, industry leaders such as Samsung and Apple have challenged their dominant position in traditional straight phones. Chinese brands such as Huawei, OPPO, and vivo have re-established their industry position by virtue of their technological advantages in the field of folding screen mobile phones.
Secondly, the rise of folding screen mobile phones has also promoted the reshuffle of the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. For key component suppliers, this means new market opportunities and is also facing great pressure to upgrade technology. For mobile phone retail and other links, the introduction of new products also needs to adapt to consumer acceptance and readjust sales strategies.
In addition, the emergence of folding screen mobile phones has also triggered the deep integration of mobile phone software and hardware design. The innovative design of the foldable screen requires comprehensive optimization and adaptation in terms of mobile phone system software and user interaction. This has driven the entire industry to explore in-depth software and hardware integration.
Finally, the rise of folding screen mobile phones will also promote the diversification of the smartphone industry. In the near future, consumers with different scenarios and needs may choose different types of smartphone products, including folding screens, straight screens, etc. This will make the entire industry present a richer and more diverse competitive landscape.
It can be said that the rise of folding screen mobile phones marks that the smartphone industry is moving towards a new stage of development. It not only brings technological innovation, but also has a profound impact on the entire industry chain and even consumer behavior. In the future, folding screen mobile phones will become an important driving force for the continuous progress of the smartphone industry.
Fourth, the challenges and opportunities faced by folding screen mobile phones
Although the folding screen mobile phone has achieved good development in both technology and market, it still faces some challenges that need to be solved urgently:
First of all, cost control is the key factor restricting its large-scale popularization. The price of current folding screen phones is generally high, which limits their appeal to mass consumers to a certain extent. In the future, whether the price can be greatly reduced through large-scale production and cost optimization is still a problem that manufacturers need to focus on.
Secondly, the improvement of endurance performance is also a technical bottleneck that needs to be solved urgently. Due to their unique design structure, foldable screen phones face certain challenges in terms of battery capacity and energy consumption management. If the battery life cannot be greatly improved, it will affect the user's experience. Therefore, manufacturers need to continue to innovate in battery technology and system optimization.
In addition, the reliability and durability of folding screen phones are also the focus of attention. In the past, some products had quality issues with foldable mechanisms, which affected consumer trust. Only by further improving the reliability and service life of products can we truly win wide recognition in the market.
However, in the long run, folding screen phones are also facing broad development opportunities:
First of all, it can meet the personalized and diverse needs of consumers. In different scenarios, people's needs for the appearance and function of mobile phones are different. The unique design of foldable screen phones provides consumers with more choices and helps to expand the market segment.
Secondly, folding screen mobile phones also provide new opportunities for manufacturers to innovate. From screen materials, hinge design to software and hardware integration, these require manufacturers to continue to explore and innovate. This will help propel the entire smartphone industry towards a more high-end and intelligent direction.
Moreover, with the application of new technologies such as 5G, folding screen mobile phones will also be deeply integrated with more scenarios. For example, in the fields of business office, entertainment video, etc., the advantages of large screens of folding screen mobile phones will be highlighted. This helps to improve the user experience and expand new use cases.
In general, although folding screen mobile phones are still facing some challenges, their good development trend and broad prospects have attracted widespread attention inside and outside the industry. In the future, with the advancement of technology and changes in user needs, folding screen mobile phones will surely play a more important role in the smartphone market.
V. Conclusion
To sum up, folding screen mobile phones, as a major innovation in the field of smartphones in recent years, are undergoing a transformation from technical concept to commercialization. With the continuous upgrading of product performance and the reshaping of the market structure, this emerging segment is becoming a new battlefield for manufacturers in the industry.
In the future, whether folding screen mobile phones can achieve large-scale popularization requires manufacturers to continue to optimize key issues such as cost control, battery life, and reliability. But in the long run, with its unique design advantages, it will definitely bring a new user experience to consumers and promote the development of the entire smartphone industry in a more diversified direction.
Overall, the rise of foldable phones marks that the smartphone industry is entering a new stage of development. Whether it is the internal pattern of the industry or the entire industrial chain, it will have a far-reaching impact. Only by keeping up with the trend of technology and meeting the needs of consumers can companies in the industry stand out from the competition and achieve sustainable development.