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Small foldable screen mobile phones have become a hot spot of competition in the current mobile phone market.

At 20:30 on August 5, Huawei nova Flip officially started pre-sale. It is understood that this is the lightest and thinnest folding phone released by Huawei so far, using technologies such as the Xuanwu water drop hinge and Hongmeng Smart Communication 2.0, with a starting price of 5,288 yuan.

In addition to Huawei, Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple and other mobile phone manufacturers have also made certain moves in the field of small foldable screen mobile phones recently. Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said in an interview with a Securities Times reporter: "The small foldable mobile phone market is going through a process from starting to gradually maturing. With the participation of more mobile phone manufacturers and the continuous innovation of products, the entire market will accelerate its development."

Huawei launches small foldable phone to maintain market leadership

Currently, foldable screen phones on the market are mainly divided into two types: large folding phones and small folding phones. The large folding phone is equivalent to a tablet with a larger screen when unfolded, while the small folding phone is similar in size to a candy bar phone when unfolded.

On August 5, Huawei released the new generation of small folding mobile phone nova Flip. Compared with straight-plate mobile phones, small folding mobile phones actually have an additional hinge that allows the body to fold and an external screen. Hinge technology is crucial. Huawei novaFlip is equipped with Huawei's Xuanwu water drop hinge technology, which has obtained the industry's first SGS 1.2 million bending durability certification, achieving 1.2 million high-intensity bending tests and still maintaining complete functions, reliability and durability.

At the same time, Huawei nova Flip has become the first folding phone with dual five-star communication certification, equipped with Hongmeng Intelligent Communication 2.0 technology, with dual-card super acceleration, weak signal enhancement mode, congested scene signal enhancement and other functions. Thinness is also a major feature of novaFlip. When unfolded, the body is as thin as 6.88mm, making it the lightest and thinnest folding phone released by Huawei.

In terms of software, Huawei nova Flip is equipped with HarmonyOS 4.2 system, which has functions such as Smart Art, AI Elimination, Smart Camera, etc., and has further improved its privacy protection capabilities. In terms of price, the nova Flip 256GB version is priced at 5,288 yuan, the 512GB version is priced at 5,688 yuan, and the 1TB version is priced at 6,488 yuan.

According to data from research firm IDC, in the second quarter of 2024, China's foldable screen mobile phone market maintained a three-digit year-on-year growth, with shipments reaching 2.57 million units. Among them, Huawei ranked first with a market share of 41.7%, supporting half of the foldable screen market, while vivo and Honor ranked second and third with market shares of 23.1% and 20.9% respectively.

Huafu Securities Research Report believes that after the release of Huawei's nova small foldable, the market share of other manufacturers' foldable screens is expected to be compressed. Huawei's novaFlip will be Huawei's cheapest small foldable phone to date, which will drive a new round of small foldable phone replacement.

Major manufacturers are focusing on small folding products, and the market space is expected to be opened up

In addition to Huawei, mobile phone manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Samsung have also recently launched small foldable phones.

On July 19, Xiaomi held a new product launch conference and released the Xiaomi MIX Flip small folding phone, which is equipped with the latest third-generation Snapdragon 8 flagship processor and a 4780mAh Xiaomi Jinshajiang battery, and has also made breakthroughs in imaging and appearance. Lei Jun, founder, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi Group, believes that the emergence of this phone will make small folding phones no longer "beautiful little waste" and open up the market space for small folding phones.

Before the opening of the Paris Olympics, Samsung announced that it would provide each participating athlete with an Olympic customized Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphone. It is understood that Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the world's first small folding screen mobile phone equipped with the third-generation Snapdragon 8 processor and was released on July 10.

In the first quarter of this year, the sales of small foldable phones were in a downward trend. According to Counterpoint data, China's foldable screen phone shipments increased by 48% year-on-year in the first quarter, of which the shipments of flip-type large foldable models increased by 91% year-on-year, while the shipments of vertical small foldable screens decreased by 1% year-on-year.

Compared with large foldable phones, why did small foldable models develop relatively slowly before? In an interview with a Securities Times reporter, Guo Tao, an angel investor and consumer electronics industry expert, said: "The poor shipment performance of small foldable screen phones is mainly due to factors such as the high pricing of early products, the functions that have not fully met consumer needs, and the lack of market awareness."

Wang Peng told reporters that small foldable phones are essentially similar to candy-bar phones in terms of functionality, but the use of high-end materials such as flexible OLED panels and foldable glass, as well as complex hinge designs, has significantly increased costs. This makes small foldable phones often priced close to or even higher than flagship candy-bar phones, and consumers may not be willing to pay a higher price for similar functions. Although foldable screen phones represent the forefront of mobile phone technology, consumers still have doubts about their durability and portability, which has also limited the market acceptance of small foldable phones to a certain extent.

Why have all the major mobile phone manufacturers recently launched small foldable phones when the sales of small foldable phones were sluggish at the beginning of the year? Wang Peng said: "Although the shipments of small foldable phones are not performing well at present, with the continuous advancement of technology and the gradual reduction of costs, their market potential is still huge. Mobile phone manufacturers hope to gradually open up this market through continuous technological innovation and product iteration. In today's increasingly homogenized smartphone market, small foldable phones, as a differentiated product form, can help mobile phone manufacturers stand out in the fierce market competition."

What impact will Apple’s entry into the folding screen battlefield bring?

In addition to Huawei, Xiaomi, and Samsung, Apple is also about to join the folding screen battlefield and choose the small folding track as a breakthrough direction.

Tianfeng Securities Research Report stated that Apple has begun developing a small foldable screen version of the iPhone and signed a confidentiality agreement with Asian suppliers for the foldable project. Shanghai Securities Research Report stated that Apple is expected to launch its first foldable screen iPhone in 2026, officially entering the foldable screen mobile phone field. Apple has been developing a foldable screen smartphone that folds up and down since 2024, and the size after unfolding is similar to the existing iPhone. Apple executives revealed that the model may be thinner and lighter than competitors' models, and the internal goal also includes avoiding crease problems.

Wang Peng believes that although Apple entered the foldable screen mobile phone market later than Chinese mobile phone brands, as a world-renowned technology brand, Apple has a large user base and strong brand influence, and has strong technical strength in both hardware and software. The launch of Apple's foldable screen mobile phone is expected to attract the attention of a large number of consumers and help quickly open up the market.

Guo Tao said: "If Apple's foldable screen mobile phone comes out, it may have a certain impact on the market competition pattern with its brand and ecological advantages. Especially in the high-end market, Apple's products are often able to lead the trend. However, considering the technology and market share accumulation of Chinese brands in foldable screen mobile phones, it is not easy for Apple to change the current market pattern. Apple needs to provide competitive innovations and better user experience to attract consumers."

With the efforts of major mobile phone manufacturers, the foldable screen mobile phone market is expected to develop rapidly. IDC predicts that the shipment volume of China's foldable screen mobile phone market will be close to 10 million units in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 53.2%. Tianfeng Securities Research Report stated that with the release of new generation foldable screen products by more manufacturers and the increase of new foldable screen product lines by manufacturers such as Honor and Xiaomi, it is expected that China's foldable screen mobile phone market will continue to grow rapidly in the second half of the year, and the development situation will be better than the global foldable screen mobile phone market.

Editor: Ye Shuyun

Proofreading: Yao Yuan

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