According to the Korean publication The Elec, Samsung is aiming to sell well over ten million units of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 combined this year. The figure would mark a healthy increase in foldable shipments from last year. Research firm Omdia recently said that the Korean firm shipped 7.1 million units of Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 combined in 2021. The ratio of the two foldable types is expected to remain unchanged in 2022 too. Omdia said the Galaxy Z Flip 3 sold 4.6 million units (65 percent) and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 sold 2.5 million units (35 percent) last year. Samsung is expecting a similar proportion (70/30) in the shipment of the 2022 Flip and Fold-series foldables. If Samsung achieves its target of selling more than ten million foldables this year, foldable smartphones could have a one percent penetration in the global market for the very first time. Global smartphone shipments could sit anywhere between 1.3 to 1.4 billion units in 2022. So, overall foldable shipments should be more than 13 million units to reach a one percent penetration rate. According to Omdia, foldable smartphone shipments came in at nine million units in 2021.
Samsung could make the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 cheaper
Samsung last year launched the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 with quite a significant price cut over their respective predecessors. Reports suggest the company is looking to further reduce the entry price this year to make foldables more affordable. It is even willing to lower its profit margin to popularize the “unconventional” smartphones. Perhaps, according to the new report, Samsung already maintains a lower profit margin on foldables (15 percent) than the Galaxy S series flagships (19 percent). It’s unclear whether the company will further cut its profit margin or reduce the manufacturing cost for a lower selling price of the 2022 foldables. Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 in August or September this year. The Galaxy Watch 5 series should also arrive alongside the new foldables. Reports suggest there will be three Galaxy Watch models this year. We should be hearing more about these devices in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted.
