Counterpoint conducted a market analysis of the Chinese foldable smartphone market and recorded steady growth in 2024. Even though foldables represent only 3% of all smartphone sales in the country, the 27% growth compared to 2023 is pretty impressive.
China is also the most competitive foldable market, as many manufacturers sell their foldables only there. Even so, Huawei solidified its first place as more than half of sales in China were Huawei phones. The Huawei Mate X5 and Mate X6 are the best-sellers in the book-type foldables category while the Pocket 2 and Nova Flip are the most sought after clamshell-type handsets.
Interestingly, Honor is the only other manufacturer with double-digit market share with its highly successful Magic Vs2 and Vs3.
The research also found that 67% of the users prefer the book-type form factor.
Analysts say that foldables are no longer exclusive to enthusiasts and male users. With advancements in the field allowing for more lightweight and compact devices that are more durable and offer better cameras, regular consumers and women have started to see the appeal, hence the continued rapid growth of the rather niche market throughout the past few years.
