In early September, within a mere 72-hour window, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Apple sequentially unveiled their foldable smartphones, all priced exceeding 10,000 yuan. Faced with escalating costs of upstream components, the profit margins for budget-friendly phones have been significantly compressed, compelling smartphone makers to turn to the high-end market as a vital avenue for revenue and profit growth. Foldable screen phones have thus emerged as a promising breakthrough in this premium segment. The three tech giants have each adopted unique strategies: Xiaomi capitalizes on its association with industry leaders Apple and Huawei to create buzz, following Huawei's successful trajectory in the large foldable phone arena. However, Xiaomi must also tackle challenges related to software adaptation. Huawei, on the other hand, leverages its large foldable design to optimize app compatibility, thereby solidifying its high-end market position with the Mate XT 2. Apple, aiming to enhance its ultra-high-end product portfolio, introduces foldable phones to maintain its pricing power and profit margins. Presently, foldable screen phones constitute merely around 2% of global smartphone shipments. The three manufacturers confront distinct hurdles: Xiaomi must strike a balance between enhancing its brand image and expanding market scale; Apple needs to overcome its delayed entry into the foldable phone market; and Huawei must sustain its first-mover advantage. Furthermore, all three companies must surmount challenges related to ecosystem integration, user adoption, and cost management.
