Recent reports have now indicated Huawei’s gradual comeback in the smartphone market as the Chinese firm still looks to recover from challenges faced over the last few years. This includes trade sanctions from countries like the US that saw Huawei forced to end business with companies like Google.
However, the firm has seemingly come back to top positions as reported by Counterpoint Research showing that Huawei is currently selling the most foldable smartphones globally. The list of global foldable smartphone shipments with Q1 2023 vs Q1 2024 comparison now has Huawei leading the market.
While other brands like Honor and Motorola also saw significant growth in the market. Samsung’s market share has dropped significantly. Huawei’s foldable smartphone shipments saw a remarkable year-on-year growth of 257% in the first quarter of 2024. Honor and Motorola grew their shipments by 460% and 1,473% respectively.
Huawei’s Mate X5 and Pocket 2 are the foldable devices that sold the most over the last year. The Mate X5 seems to have won the hearts of critics as it clinched the “Best MWC 2024” award earlier this year.
It is surprising to see Huawei’s devices take over a market that has been mostly associated with Samsung for the past few years, especially with the Galaxy Z Fold lineup. According to analysts, this takeover can be linked to Huawei’s willingness to stick to basics when building their foldable phones, something that Samsung seems to have moved away from.
For instance, Huawei Mate X5 carries a 5,060mAh battery while Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 is only limited to a 4,400mAh battery pack. Huawei has also tried to make its lineup lighter and thinner over the years while Samsung seems to stick to the same dimensions. these small factors play a major role in consumer’s decisions toward a product.
It is important to note that Samsung has been innovative enough with its foldable phone lineup. That doesn’t mean that we won’t see a reaction from the South Korean firm with its upcoming devices as they try to take back the top spot.
