[Edaily Reporter Han Kwangbeom ] SamsungElectronics(005930)As Samsung leads the global foldable smartphone market with its "Galaxy Z Fold 8" series, competition is heating up with Chinese companies such as Huawei and Xiaomi releasing new products one after another ahead of Apple’s announcement on the 10th.

According to foreign media outlets including Bloomberg on the 9th, Chinese IT company Huawei launched its flagship triple-fold (three-fold) smartphone, the “Mate XT 2,” on the 7th. This device is the successor to the Mate XT, which was released two years ago. It unfolds to a 10.2-inch tablet size and is priced at 19,999 yuan (approximately 4 million won), an increase of about 10% from its predecessor.

Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, explained that the increasing difficulty in procuring memory was one of the reasons for the price hike. The base model comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The Mate XT 2 is powered by the “Kirin 9050 Pro” processor, which incorporates the “LogicFolding” chip design philosophy—developed in response to U.S. sanctions that have blocked access to advanced lithography equipment. He Tingbo, head of Huawei’s semiconductor division, claimed in a research paper that the chip increases the number of transistors per unit area by 55% while reducing power consumption by up to 66% during core operations and significantly lowering heat generation. The Mate XT 2 will go on sale in China starting this Saturday.

◇ Huawei and Xiaomi Launch Successive Ultra-High-End Models… Premium Counterattack Amid Cost Pressures

Xiaomi also held a large-scale launch event in Beijing that same evening, unveiling the “Xiaomi 18 Fold,” which incorporates a large number of domestically produced core components and proprietary technologies. Priced starting at 19,999 yuan (approximately 2.2 million won) for the 256GB version, this device is the first to feature Xiaomi’s second-generation 3-nanometer semiconductor, the “XRING O3,” designed in-house, alongside memory from domestic memory manufacturer Changxin Memory (CXMT).

When folded, it is the size of a passport, with a thickness of 10.68 mm and a weight of 219 g, enhancing portability; when unfolded, it reveals a large 7.58-inch display. It features a 200-megapixel Leica triple camera, a 6,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, and a dual UTG structure. Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, emphasized, “Although memory is very expensive and the price isn’t exactly low, it offers excellent value for the money.”

These moves by Chinese manufacturers are intended to challenge market leader SamsungElectronics while also preemptively responding to Apple’s upcoming entry into the foldable smartphone market. SamsungElectronics has been leading the global foldable smartphone market, having sold 1.44 million units domestically during the pre-sales period alone for the “Galaxy Z Fold 8”—which achieves a passport-sized form factor when folded—the 4.1mm-thick “Fold 8 Ultra,” and the “Flip 8.” Other brands, including Motorola, Honor, Vivo, Oppo, and Google, are also seeking to expand their share of the premium market by successively launching new foldable lineups in various sizes.

◇ Apple’s Turner-led regime to be unveiled on the 10th… 40% market share next year?

Global attention is focused on Apple’s new product launch event scheduled for the 10th (Korea time). Following Tim Cook, who led the company for 15 years, new CEO John Turnus is set to officially take the helm and unveil the “iPhone Ultra” (tentative name), Apple’s first foldable iPhone. This device—which is the size of a passport when folded and the size of a small iPad when unfolded—was developed under the direct leadership of CEO Turnus.

Market research firm Counterpoint Research forecasts that by the end of this year—eight years after the first commercial launch in 2019—cumulative global shipments of foldable phones will surpass 100 million units. Furthermore, driven by Apple’s entry into the market, global shipments of foldable smartphones are projected to grow by 37% year-over-year in 2027.

According to the 2026 global foldable phone market share forecast, Apple—making its debut in the market—is projected to leapfrog to second place with a 25% share, trailing only market leader SamsungElectronics (38%). Among Chinese manufacturers, Huawei is expected to rank third with a 22% share, followed by Lenovo subsidiaries Motorola (6%) and Honor (3%).

Tarun Padak, a director at Counterpoint Research, analyzed, “Apple’s entry will certainly intensify competition in the premium segment,” adding, “However, since foldables still account for a very small share of the overall smartphone market, there is significant room for growth well beyond current levels.”

Counterpoint Research expects Apple’s market share to expand to 40% by 2027, when a full year of sales figures will be reflected, but noted that since the average selling price is three times that of standard bar-style smartphones, it will take more time for foldables to become mainstream.

Bloomberg analyzed, “The smartphone market is heading toward its worst-ever contraction, with shipments expected to decline by 14% this year, and most brands are aggressively pushing premium lineups, such as foldables, to alleviate the burden of rising component prices.”