TrendForce predicts that if iPhone Duo is not considered, the foldable screen smartphone market will decline by more than 20% this year

Experts expect the launch of the iPhone Duo to have a major impact on foldable smartphone sales this year TrendForce Although they admit that by the end of this period, Apple will not only be able to deliver 5 million iPhone Duo units, but also occupy 24.8% of the foldable smartphone market, they are considered too optimistic. In its first year in the market, the company will become the second largest market player after Samsung.

Image source: Apple

At the same time, sales of foldable smartphones across brands this year only grew 0.5% to 20.2 million units. If Apple had not launched the iPhone Duo, sales would actually have dropped by more than 20% to $15.2 million. In fact, according to TrendForce, that’s what will happen with foldable Android smartphone shipments this year.

Analysts at TrendForce said the decline in demand for foldable smartphones outside of Apple’s product range is mainly due to a sharp increase in component costs. Sales volumes across major market players either maintained last year’s levels or declined. With its 7.1 million foldable smartphones, Samsung will maintain its leading position with a market share of 35.1%, while Huawei will catch up with Apple, but with 5 million smartphones, it will not be able to break through the 24.8% market share.

Image source: TrendForce

Apple’s decision to ditch the telephoto camera and Face ID sensor in the iPhone Duo is a clear sign that compromises must be made in the battle for thickness in foldable smartphones. TrendForce experts said that when developing iPhone Duo, the company focused on improving the durability of the folding mechanism, minimizing visible folding of the flexible display, and optimizing the software interface for the new form factor. Analysts say the spread of artificial intelligence and multitasking will make foldable smartphones more attractive to users in the future. It is in this area that there will be more competition among developers, and the foldable smartphone market will grow by 16.3% to 23.5 million units by the end of next year.