Honor Outsells Samsung Ahead of Thinnest Foldable Phone Launch

It appears that the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition may not be enough to rescue Samsung from its struggles in foldable phone sales.

According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung has been overtaken in foldable phone sales in Europe, which is the second-largest global market for these devices.

Honor seems to be leading the charge there, even before the launch of its thinnest foldable phone globally, scheduled for tomorrow at a dedicated event during the IFA 2024 expo. This new model is expected to be slimmer than the special Z Fold edition while also outperforming it in specifications and pricing.

With the introduction of the Magic V3, the situation for Samsung in Europe could become even more challenging, especially since it has already lost ground in China to Huawei’s foldable and various models from local brands like Oppo, Xiaomi, and Vivo.

HONOR has aggressively expanded into the European and Asia Pacific markets, achieving a remarkable 455% year-over-year increase in its global foldable shipments in the second quarter of 2024, marking the largest year-over-year growth among all brands. The company focused on markets outside of China with its ultra-slim Magic V2, which measures less than 10mm in thickness when folded. In Q2 2024, the HONOR Magic V2 emerged as the most-shipped book-type foldable in all regions except China, where Huawei holds a dominant position.

Even when closed, the Magic V3 measures only 9.2mm thick and weighs just 226g, which is less than 8 ounces. In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is 30% thicker at 0.22 inches (12.1 mm) when closed, despite Samsung having slimmed it down relative to its predecessors.

The Z Fold Special Edition, on the other hand, will be 10.5 mm thick when closed, making it considerably bulkier than the V3. In response to the increasing competition in the foldable phone market, Samsung reportedly aimed to differentiate the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition by enhancing its toughness and durability compared to the Chinese foldable.

The addition of water-resistance and ingress protection features resulted in a thicker device than other Chinese models, especially when compared to the impressively thin and lightweight Honor Magic V3.

Nevertheless, Samsung believes that the added durability is a worthwhile investment. According to The Elec, the company plans to release a limited batch of Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition phones next month to gauge market response. However, it may be priced higher than the Z Fold 6, leaving uncertainty about how Samsung’s foldable phones will compete against Chinese brands.