These days, almost every major manufacturer of Android phones is making investments in foldables, but if you look closely enough, you may find some exceptions.
Poco, a former Xiaomi subsidiary that is now a stand-alone business, is a good example. Poco has maintained close links to its former parent firm after the split in 2020, running a similar version of the MIUI Android skin among other things.
Yet despite Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Fold having been out for two generations, Poco hasn’t yet tried it out. But, Head of Product Marketing and Global Spokesperson Angus Ng offered a totally different narrative in an interview with Tech Advisor, debunking your assumption that the business is aiming to implement it soon.
We absolutely don’t see us introducing a Flip or Fold right now, says Ng. “It’s still not mature for us… It still seems to be attempting to establish itself in the marketplace, in my opinion.
According to IDC data, foldables made up over 13.5 million shipments in 2022. Yet, that only accounts for 1.1% of the more than 1.35 billion cellphones sold globally.
By 2026, according to the same research, it would only expand by 2.8%, although Poco could have a foldable ready by then.
“I believe foldable display types will be significantly more inexpensive in five years, and hinge designs will be more widely used. After that, we can really view a design and maybe make changes to it.
Ng talks on price a lot during the interview. There were nine phones produced by Poco in total in 2022, however none were more costly than the £699/€699 F4 GT. As the majority of the company’s smartphones cost less than £500 or €500, a foldable would very probably undermine its existing price strategy.
With what we’ve learned from 2022, we really want to concentrate on the mid-range pricing bracket. Most of our best items and those in which we have the most faith will be found in that price range.
Ng would not, however, rule out the possibility of future flagship releases, saying, “We’ve examined it, and we strongly support it internally. While it’s a very busy market, there is room for us there.
At some time, it may include a foldable, but Poco wants to hold off until it is certain the product will replace your phone, tablet, or both. “They purchase tablets, then purchase a phone and a fold. What was it used for, exactly?
“Because you can’t retire both, I suppose that’s why I feel like it hasn’t found its exact place yet. But, it’s the future.
