Samsung is the market leader in the foldable smartphone segment, since the launch of the original Samsung Galaxy Fold in 2019. Still, Samsung has only focused on developing foldables in the smartphone segment. The company has not ventured into manufacturing foldable computers.
Samsung showcased the Flex Note at CES 2022 and expressed its interest in developing foldable computers for the consumer markets. As per reports, Samsung will be using its newly developed waterdrop hinge and launch a foldable computer as soon as 2024.
Samsung Will Use the New Waterdrop Hinge in Its First Foldable Computer
Korean publication The Elec has reported that Samsung will launch its first foldable computer with the new waterdrop hinge. The company had developed this hinge for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Z Fold 5.
The waterdrop hinge flexes the screen inwards, instead of folding it tightly at the same spot. This reduces the strain on the display panel and prevents the development of a crease, a constant complaint in foldables.
The report also says that Samsung’s foldable PC could launch at the earliest next year. Samsung had initially planned to launch its foldable computer in 2022. However, the launch was postponed because of the market demand for folding computers.
Although Samsung is a prominent name in the smartphone market, the company has not established itself as a major player in the laptop business. Samsung also has very low-profit margins in its laptop business, like the Galaxy Book. Hence, the company is not keen on rushing the development of its first foldable computer.
As per The Elec, Samsung is expected to launch its first foldable computer in the second half of 2024. The company could source 17.3-inch OLED panels directly from its Samsung factories, or BOE.
The Foldable Computer Market Is Still Very Small
Currently, there are only three companies that have launched foldable computers in the consumer market. First was Lenovo, who launched the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold in 2021 which was the world’s first foldable computer and was powered by Windows.
Last year, ASUS joined the foldable race with the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold. It was shortly followed by LG, with the LG Gram Fold. Since the introduction of the first foldable computer in the consumer market, we have seen only three players entering the segment.
The demand for foldable computers has still not been generated in the consumer markets. Hence, companies find it risky to develop a foldable given the high cost of research and production. For the same reasons, Samsung has not jumped the foldable computers race, even with the expertise that it carries with its foldable smartphones.
As of today, the average cost of a foldable computer is over Rs 2,50,000. The industry is also yet to figure out the practical uses of folding computers. Due to these two reasons, the foldable computer market has not gained momentum as compared to foldable smartphones.
