In 2023, more than 18 million foldables will be shipped, an increase of 44% from the last year.
In a report released by Trendforce, it was forecast that shipments of foldables will rise 44% YoY in 2023. The market for hinges in foldable OLED smartphones will grow to $500 million as a result of the increased sales.
According to Trendforce, the number of foldable smartphones delivered will increase from the 12.8 million shipped in 2018 to over 18.5 million in calendar 2023. Because other manufacturers like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo only sell their products in China and in small numbers, Samsung sold 82% of all foldables in 2022.
The Trendforce investigation, which largely concentrated on the market for hinges, produced the sales figures for foldables as a byproduct. There are now two different styles of hinges: teardrop- and U-shaped. The former is "many times more expensive" and has "many more sophisticated pieces." The analysis forecasts that as the prevalence of foldable models increases, manufacturers will start to focus on finding affordable parts, starting with the hinge.
The global hinges market will grow by 14.6% year over year to $500 million. The two main suppliers of U-shaped hinges to Samsung are KH Vatech and S-connect. Manufacturers like Amphenol and Asia Vital Components cooperate with brands that have opted for the more complicated hinge.
Display makers are also chiming in with know-how on foldable hinges. CSOT unveiled a “semi-set” production flow that integrates an OLED display into the required hinges, bringing a one-piece component. This will simplify manufacturingand improve durability.
Smartphone users are most concerned about the crease in the middle of the foldable panel, and Trendforce claimed Samsung knows about this issue but will keep using the U-shaped single-axis hinge that brings a slight groove to the screen. That way, it will keep prices lower for future Galaxy Z Fold devices, although a recent report claims otherwise so it remains to be seen how things pan out.
