Carl Pei, the founder of the Nothing brand, recently expressed his perspective on foldable phones in an exclusive interview with India Today. Pei, who had previously commented on the leaked Asus Zenfone 10, stating that “very few people buy small phones,” has now turned his attention to two highly anticipated devices of the year: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5. During the interview, Pei shared his thoughts on foldable phones and Nothing’s future plans to enter this market segment.
Pei said that he believes foldable phones are being “pushed onto consumers” by manufacturers. “I don’t think consumers walk around saying, hey, I wish my phone could fold. I think it’s an innovation that the manufacturers are pushing onto the consumer,” he said.
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Pei also said that foldable phones have a very “niche” market and that all the foldable phones look very similar if you hide the logo. He also confirmed that his company has no plan to launch foldable phones anytime soon.
A recent report by IDC, a market research firm, forecast that global shipments of foldable phones will reach 48.1 million units in 2027.
“The foldable phone market finished slightly higher than previously forecast as consumers start to embrace the new form factor,” said Anthony Scarsella, research manager, Mobile Phones at IDC. “A 10% decline in ASP helped the market grow 75.5% in 2022, as foldable devices became more affordable in numerous markets. With new vendors and models joining the race this year, we expect the foldable market to be the one bright spot in 2023 with 50.5% growth, while the total smartphone market contracts 1.1%.”
Pei’s comments on foldable phones comes day before Samsung plans to unveil its Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5. This isn’t the first time that Pei has expressed his views on Samsung phones. The entrepreneur in a YouTube video had reviewed Galaxy S23 Ultra saying that the phone lacked artistic appeal. He also criticised the high price tag of the phone and that one could buy three Nothing phones at same price.
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