Samsung wants foldables to be less of a luxury experiment and more of a genuine option.
In the spring of 2022, Samsung crossed from experimentation into commitment, initiating mass production of its next foldable phones with a target of ten million units sold — a threshold that would, for the first time, bring this unconventional form factor to one percent of the global smartphone market. The company is willing to compress its own profit margins to make that happen, accepting that the price of admission to the mainstream is, quite literally, a lower price. It is a wager not just on a product, but on the idea that what was once strange can become ordinary if made accessible enough.
- Samsung is moving foldable phones off the drawing board and onto the factory floor, with full production of the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 expected to begin by July at the latest.
- The company's ten-million-unit sales target represents a 40% jump over last year and would push the entire foldable category to a symbolically important one percent of the global smartphone market.
- A persistent tension runs through the strategy: foldables carry only a 15% profit margin compared to 19% for flagship S-series phones, and Samsung is weighing whether to cut prices — and margins — even further.
- The more affordable Z Flip is expected to carry the volume, capturing roughly 70% of foldable sales, revealing that accessibility, not novelty, is what actually moves units.
- With an August or September announcement planned and production lines already warming up, Samsung is not hedging — it is signaling that the foldable era is no longer a question of if, but of how fast.
Samsung has moved its next generation of foldable phones — the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 — from planning into active manufacturing, with full production expected by July. The company is targeting sales of more than ten million combined units in 2022, a meaningful leap from the 7.1 million it shipped the year before. Should it hit that mark, foldables would cross one percent of the global smartphone market for the first time — a modest number statistically, but a significant one symbolically.
The sales mix reveals something honest about the market. Last year, the more affordable Z Flip 3 accounted for 65 percent of Samsung's foldable sales, with the premium Z Fold 3 taking the rest. Samsung expects a similar pattern this year, with the Flip capturing around 70 percent. The message is clear: people are drawn to the idea of foldables, but price determines whether they actually buy one.
That reality sits at the center of Samsung's strategy. The company already reduced prices on last year's models and is now weighing further cuts, even as foldables already yield a thinner margin — 15 percent — compared to the 19 percent it earns on its Galaxy S flagship line. Whether Samsung trims margins further or finds manufacturing efficiencies, the direction is set: foldables must become less of a luxury and more of a genuine choice.
The formal announcement is planned for August or September, alongside new Galaxy Watch models. By then, production will have been running for months. Samsung is not waiting to see if demand materializes — it is building supply in advance, betting that the market is ready, and that price is the key that unlocks it.
Samsung has begun ramping up production of the components that will become its next generation of foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are moving from design and planning into actual manufacturing, with the company expecting to start full production next month or by July at the latest. This is the machinery of ambition turning: Samsung is betting that foldables, once a curiosity, are ready to become ordinary.
The stakes are substantial. Samsung is targeting sales of more than ten million units of these two phones combined in 2022—a significant jump from the 7.1 million Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 units it shipped the year before. That growth matters not just for Samsung's bottom line, but for what it signals about the entire category. If the company hits its target, foldable smartphones could cross a psychological threshold: one percent of the global smartphone market. For context, the world is expected to ship between 1.3 and 1.4 billion phones this year. To reach that one percent mark, the industry as a whole would need to move more than thirteen million foldables. Samsung alone reaching ten million would be a substantial portion of that.
The sales mix tells its own story. Last year, the cheaper Z Flip 3 dominated, accounting for 65 percent of Samsung's foldable sales while the pricier Z Fold 3 took 35 percent. Samsung expects a similar split this year, with the Flip capturing roughly 70 percent and the Fold 30 percent. This ratio suggests that affordability matters—the more accessible phone is the one people actually buy.
Which is why Samsung's pricing strategy has become central to its foldable ambitions. The company already cut prices on last year's models compared to their predecessors, a move that helped drive volume. Now it is considering cutting them further. The company is willing to accept lower profit margins to make these unconventional devices more accessible. Currently, Samsung maintains a 15 percent profit margin on foldables, compared to 19 percent on its flagship Galaxy S series phones. Whether it will squeeze that margin even tighter or find ways to reduce manufacturing costs remains unclear, but the direction is unmistakable: Samsung wants foldables to be less of a luxury experiment and more of a genuine option.
The timing is deliberate. Samsung plans to announce the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 in August or September, alongside new Galaxy Watch models. By then, the production lines will have been running for months, components stockpiled, supply chains tested. The company is not hedging its bet. It is moving forward with the conviction that the market for foldables is ready to grow, and that price is the lever that will make it happen.
Citações Notáveis
Samsung is willing to accept lower profit margins to make foldable devices more accessible to consumers— Industry reporting on Samsung's pricing strategy
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Samsung think foldables are finally ready for the mainstream?
They're betting on volume. Last year they sold 7.1 million foldables. This year they want over ten million. That's not a marginal increase—that's a statement of confidence.
But foldables are still expensive, aren't they?
They are, which is why Samsung is cutting prices. They're willing to take lower profit margins—15 percent instead of 19 percent—to get these phones into more hands. They think price is the last real barrier.
What happens if they hit their target?
Foldables cross one percent of the global smartphone market for the first time. That's the line between niche and mainstream. Once you hit one percent, you're no longer a curiosity.
Why does the Flip outsell the Fold so dramatically?
Cost. The Flip is cheaper and more familiar—it's a flip phone, which people understand. The Fold is more ambitious but also more expensive. Samsung expects that ratio to hold: about 70 percent Flip, 30 percent Fold.
Is Samsung betting the company on this?
Not the company. But they're betting that foldables are the future of premium phones. They're moving production to full scale, cutting prices, and planning a major announcement in the fall. That's not hedging.
What could go wrong?
Demand could plateau. The technology could prove less durable than people need. Or the price cuts might not be deep enough. But Samsung is clearly past the point of testing the market. They're trying to create it.