Blogger iBing Universe revealed that Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 may become the last generation of small folding models in the series, which will be officially released on July 22. If this news is true, Galaxy Z Flip8 will be the final product of Samsung's small folding product line. By then, the top five Android camp manufacturers will withdraw from the small folding screen market.
Prior to this, Huang Tao, vice president of vivo products, had clearly hinted in an interview that he would no longer promote small folding screen products. He believes that it is difficult for the small folding device to perform well enough in terms of battery life and images.
Judging from current market trends, small foldable screen mobile phones are experiencing an unprecedented retreat. Behind it is the superposition of multiple factors such as market, product and strategy. In terms of market data, small foldable sales have shown a red light.
Data shows that sales of small folding mobile phones will decline by 30% year-on-year in 2025, while large folding screens will achieve 50% growth during the same period, showing an obvious trend of polarization. Even Samsung, the leading player in this category, did not meet expectations for its Galaxy Z Flip series sales.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 renderings
At the product level, the physical form of the small fold determines that the internal space is largely occupied by the precision hinge structure, resulting in many experience compromises: the battery capacity is difficult to increase, the heat dissipation module is stretched, and the imaging system, especially the telephoto lens, is forced to shrink.
More importantly, there is no essential difference between it and a candy bar phone in terms of software interaction and usage scenarios. The folding experience that users get at a high price is highly similar to a candy bar phone, and many netizens have ridiculed it as a "beautiful little waste."
At the same time, manufacturers' strategic focus has shifted. As large folding screens continue to make breakthroughs in thinness and all-round experience, as well as the emergence of emerging "wide folding" forms, mobile phone manufacturers are more willing to invest resources in these tracks that can establish clear differentiated value.
In this context, it is not difficult to understand that small folding screens are marginalized by the mainstream market.
