For a period, Samsung was the undisputed leader in the foldable smartphone market. However, its slowdown in developing innovations allowed its rivals to close the gap. Especially in China, Samsung's name is now barely mentioned.
Samsung Faces a Shock in China
According to the latest research on the Chinese foldable smartphone market, as of the first quarter of 2026, Huawei holds a 60% market share. Honor follows with 21%, while Oppo is third with 6%, vivo fourth with 5%, and Xiaomi fifth with 4%.
While total smartphone sales in the country fell by 3.3% to 69 million units, the surge in the foldable phone market is noteworthy. Huawei made a significant impact with its large-screen foldable or tri-fold phones, despite having less powerful processors. The Honor brand is also addressing a critical gap with foldable phones that offer nearly 7000mAh battery capacity.
Despite being a pioneer in the segment, Samsung is losing ground because it still offers only two types of foldable phones, has not managed to achieve high battery capacities, and has failed to introduce innovations in display technologies. It's only a matter of time before it is overtaken by rivals in the global market. Furthermore, it could lose significant market share with the introduction of a foldable iPhone.
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