Samsung says ‘most’ foldable sales are from existing owners, Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 aim for 10% growth

Ben Schoon | Jul 12 2024 - 8:20 am PT

Samsung once dominated the foldable market, but that’s quickly changed. With its latest Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, Samsung doesn’t have high expectations for sales growth, and that might have something to do with who is actually buying these devices.

Earlier this week, Samsung confirmed to Yonhap News and some other Korean media outlets that the company “aims” to sell around 10% more units of Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 compared to the previous generation.

As for what that translates to, it’s hard to say for sure. It’s estimated that Samsung shipped just shy of 10 million foldables in 2023, but that includes both the Fold/Flip 5 generation and the Fold/Flip 4 generation together. Figures for just the Fold/Flip 5 haven’t been recently published.

Whatever the case, that’s not exactly a huge goal, especially as Samsung’s competition continues to heat up. In May, it was found that in 2024 global shipments of foldables so far, Samsung had seen its market share drop from a commanding 58% down to just 23%, which is in second place behind Huawei.

The problem there, it seems, is that Samsung is struggling to appeal to new buyers.

That’s something the company hinted it is trying to work on ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6’s launch this week. In a media briefing, when asked about how the company’s new foldables compare to competitors, Samsung said that “most” of its foldable buyers are customers that are upgrading from previous generations, and mentioned that it is targeting customers who have never used a foldable to expand to new buyers. Examples of that include investing in retail experiences and battling durability stereotypes with its new “Galaxy Z Assurance” push.

9to5Google’s Take

Samsung’s minimal growth and dependence on existing buyers is certainly troubling for its foldable ambitions, but also entirely predictable after the company’s foldables have effectively stagnated over the past three generations.

In a post earlier today, Samsung walked through the “Design Story” for the Fold 6 and Flip 6, and it served as a great example of just how minimal these upgrades are in the design department alone. The post spends most of its time on the Fold 6, and effectively dedicates only a single short paragraph ot the Flip 6.

To me, that all translates to a pattern for Samsung. The company is struggling to attract new buyers as other brands are just pushing this category forward. And Samsung knows that. Yet, the company seems indifferent about what its competitors are doing, and convinced that continuing to tweak its existing formula will somehow change the clear trend.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are available for pre-order now with up to $1,200 in trade-in value, doubled storage for free, and other perks. You can also get up to $150 more offer with our link to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 at Samsung.com.

Samsung starts shipping its new foldables as well as Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Buds 3 (and Buds 3 Pro), Galaxy Watch 7, and Galaxy Watch Ultra on July 24.