Foldables shipments could see a 50% increase in 2023, according to a new report

What you need to know

• IDC has a new forecast of foldable smartphones for 2023.
• The upcoming foldable shipments are likely to see a 50% increase this year.
• We might see around 21.4 million units shipped by the end of 2023.
• It will be a huge jump from last year, which witnessed 14.2 million units.

Over the past few years, foldables have evolved significantly. While the competition is yet to match Samsung’s level of commercial success, there are excellent alternatives from rivals like Motorola, OPPO, and Huawei, with companies like OnePlus that will start making foldables later this year.

Because of this, we will likely see an increase in global shipments by more than 50%, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). It translates to reaching around 21.4 million units in 2023, which includes all forms of foldables phones, including flip and larger fold form factors. The latest forecast from IDC indicates that 14.2 million foldable units were shipped worldwide in 2022.

IDC also ensures that with the current scenario, the foldable shipments could reach as high as 48.1 million units in 2027, more than double this year’s expected amount in just four years from now.

The foldables are often considered a premium smartphone range across all regions worldwide. IDC also implies that despite seeing an 11% drop in the market last year, the foldables have been on the bright side regarding the response they got from the consumer’s point of view.