Two years after launching its first foldable phone, Samsung discontinued the much-loved Galaxy Note series. While Galaxy Note fans may have been surprised by the company’s decision to discontinue the Galaxy Note series, it seems the South Korean company has made the right decision for its future. Samsung’s foldable phones now sell almost as well as the Galaxy Note series.
Samsung MX President TM Roh stated in an interview after the Galaxy Unpacked event last week that the Galaxy Z series phones are already being sold similarly to the Galaxy Note series. In fact, the company says it expects the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 to sell more than the Galaxy Note series (12 million units for the Galaxy Note 20 series) a few years ago. Passing the Galaxy Note series is a major milestone for the Galaxy Z series and will mark foldable phones finally going mainstream.
Market research firm IDC expects worldwide foldable phone sales to reach 21.3 million units by 2023. While the sales numbers still cannot come close to normal phones, it should not be forgotten that the Galaxy Z series phones are much more profitable. During its Q2 2022 revenue announcement, the company said that the goal of the Galaxy Z series is to surpass the Galaxy Note series, and the company appears to have met its goal.
Also, Samsung was the only brand to sell foldable phones worldwide for a long time. While many brands have joined the foldable trend, none of them sell their foldable phones globally. While Google launched its first foldable phone a few weeks ago, OnePlus will launch its first foldable phone later this month. OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi have launched their second or third generation foldable phones, but they only sell these devices in China and some European countries.
TM Roh says more competition is good for the company as it will force all brands to do their best. Samsung has improved the basic structure of its foldable phones this year with the new Flex Hinge. The new hinge allows the phones to be folded so that there is no gap between the two halves, while increasing the aesthetics and durability of the screen.
According to TM Roh, Samsung also wants to launch more affordable foldable phones, but this is not an easy target. In the interview, he said, “And given the cost of materials today … it probably won’t be easy for us to bid less than $1,000 collapsible in the very near future. But we will keep trying,” he said.
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