OnePlus Executive Acknowledges Foldable Smartphones Will Take Time to Gain Popularity, Company Chooses Against Launching Flagship Model with Unique Design

The market for traditional smartphones, often referred to as “candy bar”models, has consistently outperformed that of foldable devices. This significant disparity in demand has led major companies like Apple to stay away from the foldable sector for an extended period. In a parallel decision, OnePlus has also reevaluated its strategy in the smartphone industry, culminating in the CEO’s difficult announcement to halt the launch of the OnePlus Open 2. The emphasis on profitability has made it clear that without substantial demand, mass production of foldable smartphones is not feasible for the brand.

OnePlus is Reassessing Its Position in the Foldable Market

In a recent update shared on the company’s forum, Vale G from OnePlus explained that while the firm will temporarily pause its foldable smartphone initiatives, it is not completely abandoning this category. High costs remain the primary barrier preventing foldables from gaining widespread popularity. Despite ongoing improvements in longevity, traditional smartphones have consistently been favored by consumers, primarily due to their reliability.

“At OnePlus, our core strength and passion lie in setting new benchmarks and challenging the status quo across all product categories. With that in mind, we’ve carefully considered the timing and our next steps in foldable devices, and we have made the decision not to release a foldable this year.

While this may come as a surprise, we believe this is the right approach for us at this time. As OPPO takes the lead in the foldable segment with the Find N5, we’re committed to developing products that will redefine multiple categories and bring you experiences that are as innovative and exciting as ever, all while aligning closely with our Never Settle mantra.

That said, our decision to pause on foldable for this generation does not signify a departure from the category. OPPO’s Find N5 demonstrates remarkable advancements in foldable technology, including the use of cutting-edge new materials and more sophisticated engineering. We remain committed to incorporating these breakthroughs into our future products.”

Rudolf Xu, Senior Product Marketing Manager at OnePlus, provided insights to TechRadar, referencing a statistic from Counterpoint Research. This data shows that shipments of foldable smartphones experienced a modest rise of 2.9 percent year-on-year in 2024. Although the market is expanding, this growth rate falls short of expectations, indicating that mainstream acceptance of foldable technology remains a distant goal.

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