Barcelona – China’s Huawei is not the only smartphone manufacturer to add a third display to its devices.
At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show in Barcelona, many companies showed off their demonstration of technological innovations.
South Korean tech giant Samsung Its new “Trifold” concept devices were revealed in the event: the Flex G and the FlexS.
The Flex G has three screens that fold inward and outward, a bit like a book. The Flex S, on the other hand, has a more tortuous shape. It means something similar to “S”, hence the name.
The Flex S is another concept device that Samsung has shown on MWC. It folds in a more zigzag-like way to form a “S” shape.
Ryan Brown | CNBC
It’s after the Chinese tech giant Huawei launches new companion XT last month €3,499 ($3,678.56) smartphone on the international market with three screens.
Samsung emphasizes that its Flex G and S models are just concept devices – so don’t expect to find them on the shelves soon.
Still, this is a sign of where smartphone manufacturers see the next wave of innovation.
“Sea of the Same”
The smartphone market has reached a plateau in recent years, and many models have not deviated from the standard appearance of rod-shaped devices.
Apple has set the look of the device in its pocket when it launched its first iPhone in 2008. But smartphone manufacturers are now trying to pull the market out of this so-called “Sea of Someeneses.”
On Tuesday, UK consumer tech startups have nothing New phone (3A) launcheda budget model of 329-Euro ($356.28) with a quirky design and LED light system that lights up when you get a call or notification.
No co-founder Akis Evangelidis (who planned to move to India at the time) planned to make an aggressive expansion push in the country, and he was planning to move to India.
Evangelidis said in the example of the Indian market: “People are getting rid of pure functional needs in terms of products. They are eager to have brands that are more emotionally beneficial, and I think that’s the opportunity.”
Showcase innovation
But while smartphone manufacturers have been actively releasing new folding devices, the category remains a relatively niche area for the market.
In addition, folding mobile phones represent a big jump for ordinary consumers.
On the one hand, they tend to be more bulky than non-folding phones due to the extra screen. And they are not cheap either. According to market research firm IDC, the average selling price of foldable phones is almost three times the average selling price of a regular smartphone, while the non-folding phones are about $1,218, and $421.
While the foldable phone market grew 6.4% year-on-year, the category “makes only 1.6% of the total global cargo,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of IDC EMEA.
Still, at MWC this year, phone companies have shown that they are becoming more adept at developing foldable phones that can better adapt to everyday users.
Oppo, for example, showed off its new discovery N5 device this week. It has only two screens, but is much thinner than competing foldable phones, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Fold 6.
Samsung currently occupies a leading position in global foldable segments. In 2024, it accounted for 32.9% of the market share. Huawei lags behind 23.1%, while Motorola is the third largest folding phone maker with a market share of 17%.
Despite the high prices, these companies bet consumers are willing to pay for a more advanced experience.
