Analyst says Galaxy Z Flip has so far been the best selling foldable phone of 2020
While the Galaxy S20 series is apparently tanking, the Galaxy Flip Z, which made a debut around the same time, is doing pretty well for a foldable smartphone. Last year, Samsung was reportedly eyeing sales of six million bendable devices in 2020 and although the target sounds too ambitious, especially now that we are in the middle of a pandemic, Galaxy Z Flip is one device that the company can count on to boost sales as much as realistically possible.
With the Z Flip the best selling foldable device in 2020 and the Z Flip 2 and Z Fold 3 expected to compete for best selling product in 2021, UTG from SCHOTT will lead the foldable cover window market vs. CPI. Apple will likely eventually have UTG with Corning as well. pic.twitter.com/OjRJ0onhSY
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) July 10, 2020
In comparison, the Galaxy Fold is a true flagship, but perhaps the initial fiasco and of course its price stood in the way of its success. While we don't know how many units were sold, the figure was well below 1 million last year and Samsung's target was reportedly to sell 500,000 devices in 2019.
In contrast, nearly 400,000 Galaxy Flip Z units were seemingly shipped worldwide by March alone. It perhaps also helped that the phone's main screen was protected by an Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) layer, which made it a little more durable than the Galaxy Fold which features a Colorless Polyimide (CPI) film that is more prone to damage.
The Galaxy Fold's successor, which a new report claims will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 2, will also be protected by a UTG film. A 5G-ready version of the Galaxy Z Flip is also said to be on the way, and it's tipped to be a pretty significant upgrade over the original device, something which will only contribute to sales further.
Young also hints that Samsung will release the Galaxy Z Flip 2 and Z Fold 3 next year, which will go on to compete for the title of the best selling foldable device in 2021. Samsung is believed to be working with Corning, the company which makes Gorilla Glass, on a bendable UTG and it will likely be ready by next year. This would make the Galaxy Z Fold 3 far more robust than Samsung's current foldable devices and it will probably be strong enough to withstand the S Pen stylus too, something which the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will ship without it seems.
Later on, Apple will likely release a foldable iPhone which will also have Corning's UTG layer. It's hard to comment on Apple's plans right now, and per one report, the company will launch a dual-screen device like the Surface Duo first before presumably transitioning to bendable displays.
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