Samsung hits a grand slam with its 5G foldables as deliveries soar 400% in 2021

In 2019 after a delay to fix some issues that were discovered by influencers, Samsung released the Galaxy Fold. There was plenty of room for improvement, especially with the 4.6-inch external screen which was way too small to type on comfortably. So when Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in 2020, the external display was increased in size to 6.2-inches and covered nearly the complete size of the panel while the internal screen rose from 7.3-inches to 7.6-inches.

This year,  Sammy added a 120Hz refresh rate to the external screen to match the rate already offered on the tablet-sized display and added a 512GB option. As for the Galaxy Z Flip 3, the biggest improvement on that model, besides the additional real estate on the external screen, was the pricing with the basic model tagged at $999.99. Both models also added IPX8 water protection for the first time on any foldable.

The bottom line was a much improved bottom line for Samsung's foldables business in 2021. While the company didn't exactly release revenue attributable to its foldables, the company did note that in their first month of availability, sales for both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 exceeded the "total accumulative sales of Samsung foldable devices in 2020." And yesterday Samsung published a new blog post that cited data from Counterpoint Research to state that shipments of its foldable devices in 2021 rose four times the number it delivered in 2020 (which topped the three-fold increase forecast by analysts).

The big news here is that foldables have become more mainstream and aren't necessarily seen as a novelty device anymore. In fact, innovation in foldables is driving consumers to switch brands. By Samsung's own count, 150% more consumers switched smartphone brands in order to buy the Galaxy Z Flip 3 than the number that switched to purchase the Galaxy Note 20, and 140% over the number that switched to buy the Galaxy S21.

Samsung says that the "simple explanation for this massive increase is that both Galaxy Z series devices offer distinct features that appeal to specific customer groups in ways that no other smartphones have before." Samsung conducted a survey of buyers and discovered that consumers purchased the Galaxy Z Flip 3 for its "stylish design," the portability of the device, and the innovative folding clamshell form factor.

Flip 3 buyers were also drawn by the larger cover screen which allows users to handle more tasks without having to open the device. This was considered an important feature especially by those who get concerned about their privacy when they flip open the phone.

So what attracted Galaxy Z Fold 3 buyers to purchase that device? The survey showed that consumers were attracted by the phone's large display that offers several advantages for users including improved multitasking and productivity including the S Pen. Samsung even takes a jab at the iPhone by saying "it’s clear that both devices are giving consumers more incentive than ever to switch to a foldable, even if it means changing brands or operating systems.

Samsung believes that interest in foldables will grow in the future as the public learns more about what these devices can do. The company says that it has some innovations that will be making their way to consumers over the upcoming years. Samsung has earned the right to be confident thanks to the success it has had in the foldable industry. Oozing that confidence out of every pore, Samsung says that it "will continue to lead the foldable category with even more pioneering technology."

To be able to continue innovating in this space, Samsung says that it is heavily investing in Research and Development while working with app developers and companies in the industry such as Google. Speaking of Google, it continues to work with Samsung to optimize its popular apps such as such as Gmail, YouTube, Duo, and Maps for the foldable form factor.