- Muslim women break taboos navigating east London's waterways
- Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom
- More than 60 dead from storm Helene as rescue, cleanup efforts grow
- Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
- Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico
- Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace
- SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
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- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
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- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
Foldable future: Smartphones return to design classic
The "snap!" of a shutting phone is the nostalgic sound resonating from the giant stands of Samsung, Oppo and Huawei at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.
Star of the early 2000s, the flip-phone is making a comeback, with the big names of the industry hoping the high-tech new version -- the foldable smartphone -- is on the verge of going mainstream.
As production costs start to fall, analysts expect a tenfold increase in sales by 2026.
Samsung has been the pioneer in the sector, presenting the first foldable smartphone at the Barcelona conference three years ago.
The South Korean firm accounted for 87 percent of foldable phone sales last year according to analysts DSCC.
It vows that its latest models -- the "Galaxy Fold" and "Galaxy Z Flip" -- will give users the sort of experience normally reserved for tablets and laptops.
"We are working with players like Disney+ and YouTube to best integrate their applications into this screen size and make maximum use of all the possibilities of the product," said Francois Hernandez of Samsung France.
But competition is rising, with companies like China's Oppo muscling in.
Its "Find N", currently available only in Asia, has seen "really hot" sales in China, according to the company's head of products Arne Herkelmann.
The foldable phone "is ready for the mass market," she told AFP.
"We see that it is becoming more and more mature as a technology and also reaching more approachable prices, so definitely in the future, you will see more foldable devices."
- Disruption -
It has not just been the technical challenge of creating a bendable screen that has held back the market.
It has also been hard to disrupt the fundamental image -- seemingly set in stone with the first iPhone in 2007 -- of a smartphone as a large black rectangle with a single touch screen.
They remain a niche segment with a market share of just 0.62 percent in 2021, according to Ritesh Bendre, analyst at Counterpoint Research.
But with Huawei (and its P50 Pocket), Xiaomi, Motorola, and even Google working on their own models, that share is expected to reach 3.5 percent by 2025, he said.
A key turning point is expected when Apple joins the fray, which analysts expect to see around 2025.
"Apple is a hugely influential company," said Bendre, estimating that foldable sales would surpass 60 million when it gets involved.
"This will add further credibility and help open up the foldable market to iPhone customers. Volumes will depend on whether Apple is aiming for a more expensive or cheaper type of foldable," added DSCC's Ross Young.
But in the upcoming battle of the foldable, Samsung already has the jump on its competitors, especially in the technologies necessary for its production.
"Samsung is taking advantage of Apple's lack of participation and Huawei's difficulties" linked to US sanctions, said Young.
"It sees foldable screens as a way to improve its flagship position against Apple and other brands."
U.Ndiaye--CPN