Erencan YılmazSamsung, long considered the leader in foldable smartphones, has now dropped to third place, a notable shift documented by Counterpoint Research’s Q2 2025 report. For years, Samsung set the standard for foldable tech, but recent data tells a different story: Huawei now dominates with a 45% market share, up from 32% last year. Motorola’s market share jumped to 28%, doubling its previous stake, while Samsung’s own share nosedived from 21% to just 9%.
Samsung’s dominance in the foldable phone market is declining
What’s driving this shift? Primarily, the Chinese market’s sheer size and influence. Huawei benefits from strong domestic loyalty and an aggressive product roadmap. In contrast, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 offered only incremental hardware and software updates, nothing disruptive enough to energize existing users or lure new ones, especially in a market that expects rapid innovation.
That said, Samsung’s decline may be short-lived. These Q2 figures came out before the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, both of which incorporate substantial upgrades in hinge design, display durability, and productivity features. Industry sources report immediate, strong demand production numbers for August jumped from an initial 320,000 Z Fold 7 units to 430,000 to keep up, with September targets also revised upward.
With these more advanced models, Samsung is positioned to regain momentum in the second half of 2025. The upcoming Galaxy Z TriFold, which promises to further push the boundaries of foldable hardware, underscores the company’s commitment to innovation in this segment. If these trends continue, Samsung could very well reclaim its leadership position in the foldable market before year’s end.
Source: Counterpoint
