In recent years, with the rapid development of technology and the diversification of consumer demands, foldable screen mobile phone products have gradually become the new favorite of the smartphone market. On July 29th, Huawei's official WeChat account released a teaser video for its new product, revealing the new "small foldable screen phone" that will be released on August 10th. In addition, multiple manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Honor have recently launched new foldable screen phones. According to the observation of reporters, due to the relatively small differentiation of foldable screen phones, technology is no longer the focus of competition when major manufacturers release new foldable screen phones. In order to compete for users and market share, the prices of new foldable screen phones are constantly decreasing, and already released models are also increasing their discounts. Zhang Yi, CEO of iMedia Consulting, told Securities Daily reporters that the high price of foldable screen phones is a key factor that discourages consumers. Their price has gradually dropped from over 10000 yuan when they first appeared to below 10000 yuan. With the increasingly fierce market competition, the price of foldable screen phones is expected to further fall into the range of consumer psychological expectations. The sales price continues to decline. Recently, Huawei officially announced that its high-end foldable screen phone, Huawei Mate X5, has been reduced by 1500 yuan. On the online market, Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 has been sold at a price reduction of 1000 yuan; OPPO Find N3 AI Folding Screen Phone 512GB and 1TB versions have been reduced by 1000 yuan and 2000 yuan respectively. In the small folding screen mobile phone market, Xiaomi's newly released first small folding screen mobile phone - Xiaomi MIX Flip, starts at 5999 yuan, which is 2000 yuan lower than Samsung's just launched Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6; The Magic V Flip launched by Honor in June starts at 4999 yuan, which is 1000 to 3000 yuan lower than the latest similar products from other top mobile phone manufacturers. Regarding this, Pan Helin, a member of the Information and Communication Economy Expert Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told Securities Daily reporters that as the production technology of foldable screen phones gradually matures, supply chain costs have decreased, leading to a decrease in terminal prices. In addition, the foldable screen mobile phone market is showing a trend of price wars, with manufacturers using price reduction promotion strategies to attract consumers while accelerating product innovation and technological breakthroughs. Although the market prospects for foldable screen smartphones are promising, they still face many challenges. An industry analyst who declined to be named told Securities Daily reporters that although prices have been lowered, the price of foldable screen phones is still relatively high compared to traditional straight panel phones, which hinders their rapid popularity. Moreover, the vulnerability, battery life, and software adaptation issues of foldable screen phones still need to be further addressed. In addition, it takes time to cultivate consumers' acceptance and usage habits of foldable screen phones. Zhang Yi said that although the price of foldable screen phones continues to decline, it is still higher than consumers' psychological expectations. As the cost of key technology materials such as hinges and panels continues to decline, sales prices are expected to further decrease. When prices reach a reasonable range expected by consumers, sales of foldable screen phones may see a breakthrough growth. In the second quarter, shipments increased by over 100% year-on-year. With the continuous decline in terminal prices, consumers' demand for replacement phones is being stimulated, and the shipment volume of foldable screen phones is increasing day by day. The market share report of foldable screen smartphones in China for the second quarter of 2024, released by the internationally renowned research firm IDC, shows that the total shipment of foldable screen smartphones in the second quarter was 2.57 million units, a year-on-year increase of 104.6%, continuing to maintain a strong growth momentum. In terms of market share, the top five manufacturers in the foldable phone market are Huawei, vivo, Honor, OPPO, and Samsung. Among them, Huawei ranks first with a market share of 41.7%, while Vivo, Honor, and OPPO are 23.1%, 20.9%, and 8.4%, respectively. In contrast, although Samsung enjoys a high reputation in the global foldable screen phone market, its market share in China is only 3%, which also reflects the strong competitiveness of Chinese domestic brands in the foldable screen field. IDC stated that with the successive release of new generation foldable screen mobile phone products by more manufacturers, it is expected that the Chinese foldable screen mobile phone market will continue to maintain a rapid growth trend in the second half of the year. Especially in the upcoming third and fourth quarters, the competition in the foldable screen mobile phone market will enter a golden period, and major brands will engage in more intense competition. With the continuous advancement of technology and the gradual maturity of the market, foldable screen phones are expected to become a major trend in the future smartphone market. Tianfeng Securities released a research report stating that with the continuous decline in prices of foldable screen phones, it is expected to further promote the release of downstream demand, and is optimistic about the continued penetration of foldable screen phones in the next 3 to 5 years. Ma Jihua, founder of Darui Consulting, told Securities Daily reporters that in the future, foldable screen phones combined with AI may emerge in new forms, or further meet the needs of technological development and consumer experience. (New Society)