Is Samsung stagnating?

Samsung's new foldable smartphone duo lacks groundbreaking innovations, while its Chinese competitors are rising strongly and gradually gaining dominance in the market.

Samsung continues to maintain its leading position in the foldable phone field with the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 at the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event. However, amidst the rapid innovation of major Chinese tech companies, Samsung's new products are considered to lack breakthroughs. A thinner and lighter design, along with some hardware refinements, are not enough to create a significant leap forward in the fierce technological race.

Conversely, competitors like Honor, Oppo, and Huawei are continuously introducing foldable phone models with innovative designs and impressive hardware specifications. These products not only compete in terms of thinness, battery capacity, and features, but also demonstrate the increasingly sophisticated hardware design and manufacturing capabilities of Chinese companies.

Samsung is falling behind.

At the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event, Samsung announced two new foldable phones: the Galaxy Z Fold7 and the Galaxy Z Flip7. Both devices are lighter, thinner, and have a less creased folding mechanism compared to their predecessors. However, aside from minor hardware improvements, the new products haven't brought about changes that would excite users.

Conversely, Chinese phone manufacturers are accelerating their innovation efforts. Honor, a week before Samsung's Unpacked event, introduced the Magic V5, which is under 9 mm thick, even thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold7.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 haven't offered any breakthroughs compared to their predecessors. Photo: Bloomberg .

Oppo also launched the Find N5 in the domestic market earlier this year. This device not only achieves a slim profile comparable to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 but also integrates a range of premium features such as stylus support on both screens and a 5,600 mAh silicon-carbon battery, significantly larger than the 4,400 mAh battery in Samsung's device.

Huawei has announced the Mate XT, a triple-folding phone capable of expanding its screen size from 6.4 inches to a maximum of 10.2 inches. Despite its complex dual-hinge design, the Mate XT is only slightly thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, demonstrating the Chinese company's sophisticated hardware design and manufacturing capabilities.

Samsung was expected to launch a triple-folding device at this year's event, but that didn't happen. The South Korean manufacturer only confirmed that it is "working on developing" the device and expects to launch it by the end of the year. Considering the pace of innovation from its Chinese competitors, Samsung's message wasn't very impressive.

The rise of China

Unlike in the past, when technology devices from China were often seen as cheap imitations, brands from the country with the world's largest population are now leading the field in foldable phones.

According to Neil Shah, Vice President of Counterpoint Research , Chinese consumers tend to seek out new, innovative, and differentiated products.

"Consumers in China have become more demanding, with many now using a fifth or sixth-generation device. They are actively seeking more advanced experiences," said Neil Shah.

Chinese tech giants are making a strong push in the foldable smartphone market. Photo: Bloomberg .

Counterpoint also points out that China is the world's largest market for foldable phones, accounting for about two-thirds of total global sales. Meanwhile, in the US and Europe, foldable devices only account for about 1% of the market share. The lower level of acceptance of the new technology is making brands like Apple and Samsung cautious about upgrading their products.

Notably, many Chinese technology companies also receive significant government support. According to the Wall Street Journal , Huawei has received a total of up to $75 billion in state subsidies.

This has helped the company maintain its research and production operations, despite being subjected to US trade sanctions since 2019. Before being blacklisted, Huawei had risen to second place in global smartphone sales, behind only Samsung, according to Canalys .

This isn't just Huawei's story. Brands like Honor, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are all investing heavily in foldable screen technology. This is not only to meet domestic market demand but also to prepare for international expansion.

Ambition to dominate the entire market

Beyond just product manufacturing, China is actively building independent supply chains to reduce its dependence on foreign technology competitors. Many component suppliers such as BOE, Visionox, and Chinastar are emerging as pillars of China's technology ecosystem.

Chinese technology companies benefit greatly from the domestic ecosystem. Photo: Bloomberg .

BOE is currently one of the world's largest display manufacturers, projected to supply the majority of displays for Apple's MacBooks from 2025 onwards. The close collaboration between companies like Huawei and Honor and BOE gives them access to new panel technology previously dominated by Samsung Display.

Furthermore, Chinese manufacturers are also making significant inroads into the semiconductor sector. According to research from Yole Group, mainland China is likely to surpass Taiwan to become the world's largest chip manufacturing hub by 2030. Meanwhile, the US and Europe are still struggling to build a domestic chip manufacturing base, despite having support programs in place.

Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, argues that current consumer technology has become "boring." While this statement is somewhat exaggerated, it reflects the reality that the pace of innovation among Western brands is slowing down.

Source: https://znews.vn/samsung-co-dang-chung-lai-post1568763.html