Foldable Smartphones Were Promised to be the Future. Why Aren’t People Buying Them?

Key Takeaways

• Hype vs. Reality: Foldables were launched with massive hype as the next major innovation after touchscreens, but five years later, they still haven't gained widespread adoption. Despite multiple brands entering the space, global foldable sales remain sluggish, with just 9% YoY growth in early 2025.
• Consumer Reluctance: Users cite high prices, durability issues, and limited real-world use cases as major deal-breakers. Many early adopters report hardware failures, long repair times, and fragility, making them hesitant to repurchase.
• Environmental & Practical Drawbacks: Foldables contribute to increased e-waste due to their complex, hard-to-repair builds. Their design adds bulk and compromises key features like battery life and camera quality, making them feel more like novelty tech than everyday devices.
• Signs of Hope: Devices like the vivo X Fold5 show potential with better specs, lighter design, stronger durability claims, and more competitive pricing (~$960 USD). If brands continue improving price, reliability, and purpose, foldables might still turn things around.

When foldable smartphones arrived in the consumer tech space a couple of years back, they promised to be the future.

With a completely new form factor, new possible use cases, and a refreshing break from the designs that were seen on many smartphones, foldables were being looked at as the next big thing.

But that hasn't happened yet. And this is despite tech brands pouring massive resources into making foldable phones. So, where did this foldables craze begin, and why aren't people buying them?

Where It All Began - Royale FlexPai Gets the Ball Rolling

Towards the end of 2018, a relatively unknown company did something unimaginable back then. It managed to fold a smartphone from the middle and make it functional, thus creating the world's first smartphone, which folded like a book.

The RoyoleFlexPai was far from perfect. It was too chunky, experienced performance issues in its first rollout, and was deemed more of a prototype than an actual phone (The Verge called it charmingly awful").

However, it did make a lot of headlines. Only because it could bend.

While the FlexPai didn't see much success (the company, Royole, was declared bankrupt in 2024), it did give other companies a concept to work on. And they did.

Other Tech Giants Like Samsung Followed Suit

A few months after the FlexPai launch, Samsung announced the first Galaxy Fold. It got attention from tech enthusiasts but proved super bulky and not for everyone.

A year later, in 2020, Samsung again made headlines for its foldable flip phone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. This was again, an interesting phone to look at, but it wasn't perfect, as critics reported battery issues, a visible crease, and other challenges.

No matter the shortcomings, Samsung's entry into the foldables' market proved one thing: foldables were the next big change in the smartphone world after the touchscreen display. And they were expected to be the future of smartphones.

Fast forward to 2025, we today have foldables from multiple major tech brands. Be it Vivo, OnePlus, Samsung, Tecno, Motorola, or Google, everybody's on board with the idea.

There is just one thing missing. The people who are interested in buying them.

Foldables Are Here, but Where Are the Customers?

Foldables have existed for over five years, and brands leave no stone unturned in creating hype around these phones. From star-studded advertisements to flashy launches, we've seen it all. But the numbers don't really reflect this hype.

Mainstream buyers still seem missing from the foldable' scene, which isn't exactly what you'd expect from a promising market.

Counterpoint recently predicted a decline in the foldable smartphone market this year and said Apple's entry into the space in 2026 might turn things around. But we'd have to wait to find that out.

Now let's talk numbers. Counterpoint's Q1 2025 global market tracker shows that foldable smartphone shipments have grown by just 9% YoY so far.

Techreport Graph Showing the Counterpoint Data on Foldable Shipments

China was the main driver of this growth, now accounting for 66% of global foldable shipments. On the other hand, Europe, which has shown more interest in foldables, saw barely 4 percent growth.

This lack of interest didn't just come out of nowhere. It has always been around, and late 2024 was perhaps the worst quarter for foldables, as per Counterpoint:

• Q3 2024 saw a 1% YoY decline, despite Samsung launching its new foldable devices (Galaxy Z6 series) around the same time.
• Global foldable smartphone shipments saw a massive 24% YoY decline in Q4 2024

So, while Q3 hinted at stagnation, Q4 confirmed a severe drop in demand for foldables.

Going back a year, in 2023, a TrendForce report noted that foldables made up just 1.6% of all smartphones shipped.

What People Are Saying About Foldable Phones

A quick scroll through social media platforms will reveal what people feel about foldables', with much of the sentiment pointing towards people not being too keen on buying one or buyinganother.

Consumer Sentiment Says it All

You'll have little issue finding instances where people have faced issues with their devices - which has made others suspicious of the entire segment.

For instance, a user on Reddit shared that their Galaxy Fold 4, once their favorite device, died unexpectedly despite careful use and no physical damage. This was due to a ribbon cable issue; the phone didn't last 18 months.

The user added that while they loved the foldable experience for productivity and media, the sudden failure has given them trust issues" with the format, and they'd likely switch to a regular smartphone.

Another user commented on this post, saying,

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If I were not in the EU, where we have 2 years of warranty, there would be no way I'd buy a foldable phone."

Meanwhile, a Reddit thread asking for general thoughts on foldable phones also has some interesting comments. A user wrote in the thread,

I'd love a foldable phone, except the price is too high, and the folding screen is too fragile."

There are ample such posts where people complain about their foldables, regret buying one, or are apprehensive about getting one.

While the concept is deemed cool" by many, there are valid concerns about durability, performance, and real-world use.

What Do Critics Say?

Critics, too, seem to agree that foldables haven't captured mainstream buyers' attention.

Many leading tech journalists and reviewers, similar to users on Reddit, point out recurring issues that continue to hold the category back: high prices, durability concerns, heavy build, and unclear use cases.

Twice as Thick, Twice as Expensive"

Marques Brownlee, one of the most respected tech reviewers globally, also pointed out these issues in a recent video titled Are Foldables Cooked?"

He noted that foldables were promised to become regular phones that happened to double into tablets when needed, without any compromises, but that this hasn't happened yet.

Early models, he said, were twice as thick, twice as expensive, and twice as complicated to build,' and those challenges haven't entirely disappeared.

He also praised some companies for pushing boundaries and putting iPad mini screens into our pockets', but the problem of a high price tag remains.

Stress Tests Speak Volumes on Foldable Durability

Zack Nelson, aka JerryRigEverything, also put the Galaxy Z Fold6 through one of his signature durability tests - and the verdict wasn't exactly confidence-inspiring.

In his video from July 2024, he acknowledged Samsung's slight refinements, like a less visible crease and a lighter body. He also pointed out that core warnings still apply: avoid dust, don't press too hard, and leave that screen protector alone.

His stress test revealed that despite the new materials like shear thickening fluid," the inner display still scratches at a level 3 on the Mohs scale (your fingernail is also a level 3).

He also noted that dust resistance seems to have taken a step back compared to previous models, and after a real-world dirt test, the hinge looked dirtier than a kitty's litter box."

Durability issues, the bulk designs, and everything in between make it difficult to justify buying one. At least, that's the overall sentiment we found, both from consumers and tech enthusiasts.

A Problem That Isn't Talked About Enough

In addition to performance and other issues, another angle often gets overlooked when discussing foldables. The green factor.

For one, these futuristic smartphones are pretty complex, with harder-to-recycle parts. For instance, dual batteries, intricate hinges, flexible OLEDs, etc. - these added components and materials also mean a bigger carbon footprint.

Their complexity also makes it super difficult to repair these phones, and it's well known that once a foldable phone dies on you, it's more likely that you can only get it replaced. And, of course, this contributes significantly to e-waste.

According to the Global E-waste Monitor, the world produced 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, which has only climbed since. In addition to this, only 22% of that waste was properly recycled.

Foldables, since they can't be repaired as easily as traditional phones, are a bigger problem here. This would force people to buy phones more frequently across the globe, thereby greatly contributing to this problem.

Even though some brands, like Samsung, are taking notes and have started making their foldable devices from recycled materials (Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip5, for example), there's still a lot of work to be done in this respect.

Our Take: It's an Exciting Concept Riddled With Issues

We believe foldable phones might have captured attention with all the bells and whistles, but they haven't lived up to the hype.

The crease is still visible on the screen, the build feels thick and inconvenient to manage, battery life doesn't keep up, and even camera setups take a hit as brands compromise on sensors to make the design work.

Besides the price, foldables lack a sense of reliability and often feel like promising prototypes that aren't quite there yet. Ergonomically, they can feel off-balance, top-heavy, awkward gripping, and not as easy to use with one hand.

And if something goes wrong (which seems to be the case quite often), repair timelines are longer than the usual 3-5 business days, often stretching anywhere between 10 to 14 business days, with some reporting waiting up to a month.

Thus, the concept is exciting, but the devices are riddled with problems. If brands can truly solve for price, durability, and purpose, foldable phones might still have a shot at rewriting the smartphone story.

Will the Vivo X Fold5 Break the Mold?

Just last month, vivo launched its latest foldable, the XFold 5, in China, and the phone made headlines. It's also set to launch in the Indian market soon, but currently, there's no launch date for the US.

With the XFold 5, vivo seems to be taking direct aim at the category's biggest flaws- 1) the bulk design, 2) battery life, and 3) fragility, by promising a sleeker and lighter design (217 grams), refined hinge, and larger battery than most foldables.

1. Running on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, the phone promises up to 30% faster performance and 20% improved power efficiency compared to the previous generation of the chipset.

In comparison, the OnePlus Open and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.

1. Regarding battery power, the vivo XFold 5 offers a 6000mAh battery compared to the Galaxy Z Fold6 (4400mAh) and the Oppo Find N5 (5600mAh). It also supports 80W wired and 40W wireless charging.

The vivo X Fold5 doesn't just aim to be greater in power and battery gains but durability as well.

1. The phone features a carbon fibre hinge that helps keep the weight down while still claiming to withstand 600,000 folds, a figure far surpassing the 200,000 folds claimed by Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Fold6, for example.

The vivo X Fold5 also boasts an IPX8 and IPX9 water resistance and IP5X dust resistance rating, something most foldables still lack.

For context, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold6 offers IPX8 water resistance but skips dust protection, while the OPPO Find N5 is confirmed to have IPX6, IPX8, and IPX9 water resistance ratings, but no official dust resistance rating.

The Price of the Vivo XFold 5 - A Step in the Right Direction

In terms of price, the vivo XFold 5 launched for CNY 6,999 in China (roughly $960 USD). This is cheaper than the launch price of several other foldables in the country.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 launched at CNY 12,999 (around $1,780 USD), while the Honor Magic V2 debuted at CNY 8,999 (approx. $1,230 USD).

On paper, the vivo XFold 5 holds a promise. However, whether it delivers will only be seen as more people in different markets test it. Since the phone is available only in China (and soon, in India), its impact remains uncertain.

Moreover, while vivo XFold 5's launch price is more competitive than many rivals, it still doesn't bring foldables into the true mid-range territory, especially for price-conscious buyers.

Foldables: Niche but Promising

So the question remains. Will foldables become a failed experiment or the new normal for smartphones? It depends on how brands make the switch from focusing on novelty to necessity.

Foldables, until now, are good-looking devices that can put a larger screen in our pockets. However, while some may be willing to shell out more for one, many feel these devices have too many problems to justify the price tag.

The overall consensus is that the road ahead is still long. Sales are slowing, early adopters are losing patience, and average buyers are yet to be convinced.

Whether new devices like the vivo XFold 5 break the mold remains to be seen. It may bend the general perception around foldables in a more favorable direction.

The post Foldable Smartphones Were Promised to be the Future. Why Aren't People Buying Them? appeared first on Techreport.