According to media reports, Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy S21 series is rumored to be launched in the middle of January next year. At present, many new news about this model have been uploaded on the Internet. In addition, foreign media also exposed the next generation of Galaxy S22. It may have a thinner body, but the battery capacity is reduced. Looking at the field of folding screen mobile phones, Samsung is the overlord. Samsung has released Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Fold, Galaxy Z Flip 5G and Galaxy Z Fold2.
Samsung is deeply plowing the folding screen, but its position is still being challenged. According to Canalys data, in the second quarter of this year, Huawei surpassed Samsung for the first time with 55.8 million shipments, becoming the world's largest smartphone manufacturer. Although Samsung has a share in the global market and gave a beautiful report card in the third quarter, the "hidden worries" behind Samsung should not be underestimated.
Samsung wants to take the lead in the mobile phone digital circle with its folding screen, but for now, it is Samsung being folded. Where should the former Samsung empire go?
"Folding screen" has no hope of breaking through, fold is difficult to give birth
In 2019, the growth of the mobile terminal market is gradually weakening, and major mobile phone manufacturers are looking for new ways to stimulate consumption, and Samsung is no exception. Samsung, which has always been dominated by technological innovation, began to smash the folding screen. The Galaxy Fold was finally born in February 2019 under public expectations, but it was ushered in various screen bugs, which ended Samsung's delay on folding screen phones. Nearly ten years of progress.
After Samsung Galaxy Fold went on sale, the screen overturned, and the folding screen phone temporarily cancelled the China conference. Samsung Galaxy Fold mobile phones have problems such as raised screens, flashing screens, black screens, and even "folding problems" such as inconsistent refresh rates on the left and right sides of the inner screen. Consumers also report that the mobile phone is completely unusable. However, Samsung is still "throwing the pot", calling it an external factor.
In Jianghu Lao Liu's view, Samsung has become cautious after the Note 7 incident, but the Galaxy Fold is still overturned. Samsung wants to use the folding screen to compete in the mobile terminal market, but the situation is full. Although it has attracted some traffic attention, the folding screen is not in the market. No big storms have been set off. After Samsung's first completed folding screen went on the market, it was not as expected.
High barriers, folding screens need to be controversial
With the end of 2020, the representative flagships of major mobile phone manufacturers have all appeared today. Among them, Samsung Galaxy S21 is controversial. Folding screen mobile phones still face many technical difficulties. OLED flexible screens and hinges are the core hard breakthroughs, and they are also one of the technical difficulties that need to be solved urgently in the industry.
Take Samsung Z Flip as an example. It has high value and high price, but the mirror body accumulates fingerprints, which shows that it is too difficult to make breakthroughs in folding screen mobile phones. Folding screens either have a larger screen and have the dual identity definition of a mobile phone and a tablet, or make the body smaller to achieve a refined mobile phone. Folding screens have also attracted controversy over pseudo-needs.
Folding screen mobile phones are a compatible method that can meet the needs of a small number of people's mobile phones + tablets. The meaning of mobile phones is to be used for daily communication. Tablet PCs are portable and controllable and are derivatives of computers. The emergence of folding screens has broken the balance of the three terminals again, and the public is quite controversial about the "chicken rib" demand for folding screens.
In the view of Liu Jianghu, the most important thing about mobile phones is that they are light, moderate and easy to play, while tablet computers are big screens for office. Combining two into one, there are contradictions when facing the independent needs of users, which cannot be merged and satisfied. However, the small foldable mobile phone, which is exquisite in mini size, has one more flip program compared to the candy bar smartphone, but the price is several times more expensive. Folding screen mobile phones are "chicken ribs", the folding screen market is not mature, and the redefinition of mobile phone forms may need to be tested by the market.
The blowout is hard to meet, and the heroes compete for the world
Since 2019, Samsung has been deeply involved in folding screen mobile phones and launched the first folding screen mobile phone Samsung Galaxy Fold. On September 9, 2020, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G was released. But other mobile phone manufacturers have not fallen behind.
On February 24, 2020, Huawei released the second-generation folding screen mobile phone Mate Xs. Huawei Mate Xs has two forms: folded and unfolded. In terms of core configuration, Huawei Mate Xs is equipped with Kirin 990 5G SoC processor and supports SA/NSA. 5G dual-module network, supports 5G+4G dual card dual standby, and supports more 5G frequency bands. Mate Xs has also been upgraded and optimized in terms of screen material, hinge structure, 5G performance, and camera system.
Microsoft also launched the first "folding screen" mobile phone Suface Duo. It is reported that Apple's first foldable iPhone will come out in November 2022, and it may use Micro LED screens. In November, Motorola also released its first folding screen mobile phone moto RAZR. OPPO also entered the game and released a scroll screen concept phone-the OPPO X 2021 screen can be unfolded and retracted like a scroll.
In the view of Liu Liu, Samsung failed to usher in the blowout as hoped. On the contrary, negative tests and comments about Samsung's folding screen continued to flow out. Domestic mobile phone manufacturers are catching up, incorporating new concept developments on the basis of folding screens, and Samsung is not having a better life. Folding screens are still subject to false demand controversy, the current market is not large, and the future prospects remain to be seen.
Jiang Hu Lao Liu, TMT industry observer, well-known IT commentator.
