Will new Chinese foldable phones challenge Samsung’s monopoly in Hong Kong? Probably not
- Chinese firms Honor and OnePlus have announced foldable phone releases for the global market in 2023, but Samsung Hong Kong’s managing director isn’t worried
- The Korean smartphone giant boasts of strong foldable model sales, driven by clever marketing. But getting a foothold in China is another story
Samsung has a monopoly on the foldable phone market in most parts of the world, including Hong Kong, as competition from Motorola remains largely negligible and Chinese foldables have so far been for domestic release only.
This is set to change in 2023, as major Chinese brands such as Honor and OnePlus have either hinted at or confirmed foldable releases for the global market – which means there’s about to be a challenge to Samsung’s hegemony.
But managing director of Samsung Hong Kong Yiyin Zhao is confident that the South Korean brand can keep its top spot in the city’s foldable market.
“From a product perspective, if we’re talking about the full picture including software and ecosystem, we are confident in the edge [Samsung foldables] have [over Chinese foldables],” she says, adding that healthy competition will only push Samsung to continue innovating.
The company is already doubling down on its foldable phone marketing and focusing on an experience-driven initiative.
