The global market for foldable smartphones will undergo significant changes in the second half of 2023 and throughout 2024.

According to the latest report from Counterpoint Research, the global market for foldable smartphones has witnessed a 10% increase compared to the same period last year in the second quarter of 2023, reaching 2.1 million units. This growth stands in stark contrast to the overall global smartphone market, which experienced a 9% decline in shipments during the quarter, totaling 268 million units. Due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and high global inflation, the overall smartphone market is expected to exhibit stagnant growth. However, the foldable smartphone segment continues to demonstrate strong and sustainable growth.

The context of foldable smartphones in the Chinese market presents a particularly attractive scenario. In the second quarter of 2023, overall smartphone sales in China declined by 4% compared to the same period last year, reaching 61.9 million units, due to recent economic challenges faced by the country, leading to reduced consumer spending. However, the foldable smartphone market in China achieved notable success, with a 64% increase compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.2 million units. China currently holds the largest market share in the global foldable smartphone market, accounting for 58.6% of the market.

The rapid growth of the foldable smartphone market in China is primarily attributed to the introduction of foldable devices tailored to the Chinese market, coupled with strong consumer demand for such products. This surge is driven by the launch of key products such as the Huawei Mate X3, vivo X Fold 2, and vivo X Flip, primarily targeting the foldable smartphone market in China.

High-level analyst Jene Park from Counterpoint Research stated, “We believe that the frequent launch of foldable smartphones is changing the perception of Chinese consumers towards foldable products. As a result, Chinese consumers have easier and more frequent access to various foldable devices compared to any other market in the world. The continuous release of multiple foldable products is considered one of the key reasons why the foldable market in China continues to grow significantly compared to other markets.”

The global market for foldable smartphones will experience significant changes in the second half of 2023. Chinese manufacturers are expanding their international presence during this period, with notable releases including the Honor Magic V2, Oppo Find N3 Flip, and the unnamed OnePlus foldable device. Notably, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, considered as some of the leading foldable products, were launched in August and are expected to gain significant market share in the second half of 2023.

Jene Park further added, “The global market for foldable smartphones is expected to witness significant growth in the second half of 2023, driven by the expansion of Chinese manufacturers. While Samsung’s market share may decrease due to increased competition, we believe it will be a natural outcome. However, competition among manufacturers typically expands the market scale for the products. We anticipate that the era of mass-market foldable smartphones will begin in 2024, primarily led by Samsung and Huawei with their entry-level foldable devices. These entry-level foldable products are expected to have a price range of around $600 – $700, making them more accessible to consumers.”

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In addition to white, red, or green, the battery icon on the iPhone also has a yellow color, symbolizing the Low Power Mode which can slow down the device.

Many long-time iPhone users still find it unfamiliar when they see the battery icon on their phone turn yellow. This is an indication that the device is in Low Power Mode. Other familiar color indicators on the battery icon for users include white, which represents the normal state, red indicating low battery (below 20%), and green indicating that the device is charging.

According to Apple, the Low Power Mode can provide an additional three hours of usage for the iPhone, depending on the specific model.

When the battery icon turns yellow, the iPhone experiences a noticeable decrease in performance and some features. For example, with iPhone 12 models, the device automatically disables 5G connectivity, while iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models reduce the screen refresh rate, resulting in slower responsiveness to touch gestures. Most models also disable background app refresh, automatic downloads, and email fetching. The process of copying photos to iCloud is paused, and the screen brightness is reduced. Finally, the processor’s clock speed is lowered to consume less power.

By default, Low Power Mode is always turned off. In some cases, when the iPhone battery reaches 20% or lower, a prompt window will appear suggesting enabling Low Power Mode. Many users may tap without fully understanding the actual functionality, only to find their phone suddenly running slower.

To enable or disable Low Power Mode, users can access Settings, select Battery, and interact with the Low Power Mode option. By default, when the device is charged to 80% or above, this feature will be automatically turned off.

Battery saving mode on iPhone is not turned on automatically, but users can create their own commands through the Shortcuts application. In the software, select the Automation tab > Create personal automation > Battery level > Lower and adjust the slider to the desired level, select Next > Add task > Set low power mode > Next > uncheck Ask before running > Done.

Read more: Is Safari on your iPhone too slow? Try these 4 ways to speed it up.

When the new generation of iPhone 15 was introduced by Apple at the Wonderlust launch event, the most notable changes were seen in the premium devices, the iPhone Pro models. Not only are they equipped with the latest generation of processors, but the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max also utilize a new material for their frames. That material is grade 5 titanium, replacing the previous stainless steel.

Compared to stainless steel, this new titanium material has special characteristics that led Apple to use it in their new generation of high-end iPhones. 

First and foremost, the most prominent advantage of titanium alloy lies in its lighter weight and higher durability. According to Forbes, titanium is 45% lighter than stainless steel and has twice the strength of aluminum. Additionally, this material exhibits excellent resistance to corrosion and high temperatures. It is also relatively inert to chemical substances. That is why titanium is favored as a material in high-intensity activities such as aerospace and defense.

Lightweight is a clear advantage for those who are upgrading from the iPhone 14 Pro to the iPhone 15 Pro. The higher-end iPhone models are equipped with more features, which can make the device slightly heavier compared to the regular iPhone lineup. However, the titanium frame can address this drawback. In fact, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are approximately 9% lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

Furthermore, depending on the composition of the titanium alloy, this material can offer various interesting characteristics. It can be extremely rigid, to the point where it is used in surgeries to fix broken bones. But it can also be flexible like plastic, allowing it to be bent and twisted without breaking, making it suitable for eyeglass frames.

In addition, titanium is much easier to electroplate compared to steel. In fact, electroplating titanium surfaces is a common method to create colors for this metallic material. As a result, manufacturers can achieve different colors for titanium, such as copper, purple, navy blue, light blue, gold, pink, vibrant red, and many others.

Currently, the new iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models are available in black, titanium white, titanium blue, and natural titanium colors. The use of titanium alloy as the iPhone’s frame indicates that there may be more colors to come in the future, as Apple has done with previous generations of iPhones.

While titanium brings many advantages compared to stainless steel in previous versions, it also has some notable drawbacks. Its heat dissipation performance is lower than that of steel and aluminum. Therefore, many people believe that the titanium frame may be a contributing factor to the abnormal heating of the iPhone 15 Pro during operation.

Additionally, titanium is challenging to manufacture, especially on a large scale to meet the demand for Apple’s high-end iPhone models.

Furthermore, titanium production is costly and environmentally polluting. It is a very hard metal, and most titanium parts are manufactured through machining, which means there is a significant amount of metal waste generated during production. The difficulty in titanium production also lies in the use of hazardous chemicals.

However, this is not the first time Apple has used titanium for its products. In fact, the Apple Watch released last year and even the Apple Card were previously made of titanium. Furthermore, from 2001 to 2003, Apple equipped the Powerbook G4 laptops with titanium frames. Therefore, it is likely that Apple knows how to mitigate the drawbacks of this metal when working with their manufacturing partners.