SlashGear Asks: Would You Ever Purchase A Foldable Smartphone? - Exclusive Survey

In the last couple of years, sales of foldable smartphones have skyrocketed. While the South Korean tech giant Samsung leads the market by selling more foldable phones than any other company, names like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Motorola have also rolled out a few models. Although, we've also heard that Apple and Google are developing foldable devices, but the brands might take another year or so to release them.

To recall, the first commercially available folding phone with a touchscreen, Royole FlexPai, came out in 2018. Although Royole was the first at it, it was not necessarily the best. In the same year, Samsung unveiled the Infinity Flex Display, a screen flexible to the extent that it can be folded in half, and it wasn't until 2019 that we saw the first foldable smartphone from the company, the Galaxy Fold.

The Galaxy Fold featured the Infinity Flex Display on the inside and a secondary display on the front. Although the device had severe durability issues, Samsung learned from its mistakes, and in the later year, the company successfully created a foldable phone that could survive typical usage.

Since the market for folding phones is on the rise, SlashGear recently conducted a survey asking readers which phones they prefer, and 19.6% of participants said they like the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3. To know more about whether fans would consider purchasing a foldable smartphone, we conducted another survey in the U.S.

In the survey, SlashGear asked users whether they would purchase a foldable smartphone, ever. Surprisingly, 62.71% of the 606 respondents in the United States are not yet sold on the technology. Given that our previous survey indicated that users prefer the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip series and consider them as competitors to the mainstream smartphones like Galaxy A53 and Galaxy S22, we did not expect the result. Although, we understand the reason behind it. 

Foldable smartphones are not only more expensive than conventional models, but they are more delicate than them. For instance, one of the best smartphones in the market, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro (128 GB), costs $999. However, if you wish to purchase the latest foldable, you have to shell out $1,799 for the Galaxy Z Fold4 (256 GB).

Even though folding phones are good to look at, they appeal to enthusiasts who can appreciate the technology in all its glory. Hence, the average user, who wants to spend their money on a durable smartphone that lasts them for a couple of years, won't consider investing in a foldable phone. Not to mention that devices like Galaxy Z Fold or Galaxy Z Flip also have a high repair cost.

On the positive side, 37.29% of the survey participants said they would definitely purchase a foldable phone. Per a Counterpoint report, foldable smartphones will be the fastest-growing smartphone product category this year.