Samsung Electronics is delaying the release of Galaxy Fold. The company says it will make an official announcement in a few weeks, but industry analysts say even the first half of the year is uncertain.
As the launch of Huawei's foldable phone was difficult owing to the U.S. sanctions, the much-anticipated release of Samsung foldable phone was postponed without reservation.
Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics, answered briefly when asked about the timetable for the re-launch of the Galaxy Fold, on May 31, "I'll make an official announcement in a few weeks."
Galaxy Fold was expected to be released as early as a month after the re-launch was decided in April, but its schedule has been delayed.
"We're also uncertain about the launch of Huawei Mate X by the end of this year. There is a saying that it is difficult to make Galaxy Fold in June, too. As it is known that the company has yet to solve its existing problems, its overall sales in the market will drop to a few hundred thousand units," a market watcher said.
In the wake of the U.S. sanctions against Huawei, the smartphone market is expected to see a degrowth this year after last year.
However, the prevailing view is that only Samsung Electronics' smartphone business will benefit from the reflective profit.
"In particular, smartphones that fail to get support from Google's core content YouTube in flagship models lose their product value, and we expect Samsung to take away Huawei's share in the European and Asian markets," he said.
Although the sanctions on Huawei are a fortunate element for Samsung's smartphone business in many ways, consumers' interest in foldable phones is gradually cooling down.