After making foldable phones possible all the way back in 2019 and refining them very close to perfection in just a few years, Samsung is seeing its supremacy in the slowly maturing market segment threatened around the world by what seemed like an unlikely challenger not long ago.
Motorola is rising fast not only in the US, but across Western Europe as well, where Google is somewhat surprisingly also improving at a better pace than on its own home ground.
And the top seller is... not the Galaxy Z Flip 6
Are you shocked to see the Motorola Razr 60 dominate the Western European foldable sales chart of H1 2025? It's true, nothing that happened in the region the year before could have predicted this champion, but with the risk of being called biased, I'm happy that the budget-friendly model surpassed Samsung's much costlier Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6.
Those are two very different hierarchies for the same market.
Hopefully, that will teach the world's top smartphone vendor a lesson not just in humility, but in understanding consumer needs. There's really nothing that the Z Flip 6 can do that the Razr 60 can't, so there's clearly no reason (for many Europeans, at least) to spend hundreds of dollars (or Euros) more on the former device than the latter.
Unfortunately for Samsung, the same can be said about the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in comparison to the Razr 60, and with the affordable Z Flip 7 Fan Edition... not priced competitively enough or advertised properly, Samsung's Western European troubles are unlikely to go away in H2 2025.
What is your go-to foldable brand?
Samsung
32.26%
Motorola
35.48%
Google
19.35%
Honor
3.23%
A different brand
3.23%
I don't like foldables
6.45%
Of course, this is an individual model hierarchy, and while last year's Razr 50 also sold very well for Motorola during the first six months of this year, Samsung is still the number one overall foldable handset vendor in Western Europe.
How is Google performing so well here?
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. According to Counterpoint Research, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's unexpected H1 2025 success was the result of "better placement at key carriers, competitive pricing, and a design story that resonates with productivity-minded book buyers", which are obviously all very good points and compelling buying reasons.
But although the same points are theoretically valid in the US too, Google is struggling to keep up with Samsung and Motorola stateside, looking all but guaranteed to lose even more domestic market share when Apple finally enters the foldable arena.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is somehow more successful in Europe than the US. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Naturally, Apple is expected to shake up the Western European foldable landscape as well next year, substantially boosting overall sales numbers and causing serious damage primarily to "slower movers or brands with narrow foldable lineups."
Technically, Honor doesn't fall in any of those two categories, but for some reason, the Chinese brand no longer has any devices among the top five foldable performers in Western Europe after incredibly holding the number one spot back in H1 2024 with the undeniably impressive Magic V2.
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Clearly, you found the Magic V3 less impressive than the likes of the Motorola Razr 60, Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, Razr 50, and Z Fold 6, turning what was previously a two-brand battle for supremacy into a much more exciting and unpredictable four-way race.
Who will come out on top at the end of the year?
Samsung. Oh, I'm sorry, were you not expecting a clear and definitive answer to that question? Because, yes, the fight for the first three positions in the foldable vendor hierarchy is closer and more interesting than ever, but with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 in the equation, there's no way for Motorola to take the crown... just yet.
The Z Flip 7 is not necessarily better than the 2025 Razr Plus, but it will probably prove more popular. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
The silver medal is within reach, however, following Honor's curious downfall, and if the Razr 70 family sees daylight early enough next year, I definitely wouldn't be surprised if Moto manages to beat Samsung for the H1 2026 gold medal in Western Europe.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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