Source: Group 1_0443/S&P Global/S&P Global Media Portal.
Several manufacturers have experimented with foldable screens in hopes that they would become the next evolution of smartphone form factors. Even with several models already on the market, adoption of these devices has yet to reach critical mass despite solid interest from consumers. Once again, Apple is heavily rumored to be developing a foldable iPhone. The company’s foray into this nascent device type could be the catalyst needed to propel the next wave of adoption. This not only would benefit Apple, but also could spark a broader wave of demand for foldables among its rivals.
This blog post presents the findings of a 451 Research from S&P Global Energy Horizon’s survey conducted at the beginning of the holiday shopping season, which asked US consumers about current smartphone ownership, customer satisfaction, and planned purchases.
Key takeaways from the survey
Foldable smartphone segment remains a niche market. Consumer demand for smartphones with foldable screens is mostly unchanged compared with the previous year (Q4 2024), with 32% of respondents still saying a foldable screen would make them more likely to purchase that manufacturer’s device. Even with consistent interest year over year, however, there is no real increase in ownership rates as foldable smartphones still make up less than 1% of all devices. Furthermore, only 2% say they plan to buy a smartphone with a foldable screen within the next year. At the end of the day, no matter how interested consumers might be, foldable screens (5%) have low levels of importance among the wide variety of features that motivate phone purchases. Consumers seem to be holding out for a game-changing device that would finally motivate them to make the jump.
Will Apple enter the fray? Rumors continue to circulate that Apple could be developing a foldable smartphone of its own. Devices dubbed by the media as the “iPhone Flip” or “iPhone Fold” could be released as early as September.
Among current Apple owners, 31% say they would be more likely to buy a device with a foldable screen. This compares with 33% of Samsung owners, 35% of Motorola owners and 25% of Google owners.
These numbers are mostly unchanged compared with last year, again highlighting consistent interest, but with low actual overall adoption. The release of an iPhone Fold could be the driver that pushes more consumers to this form factor.
Apple and Samsung top the charts. The US smartphone space continues to be dominated by Apple (43%) and Samsung (36%), with no other manufacturers in sight. Motorola (11%) is the only one even close, with Google (4%) barely registering. Much like the previous year’s survey, this dynamic isn’t likely to change anytime soon, as Apple and Samsung are also the most preferred brands among respondents planning to buy a smartphone over the next 12 months. In a similar vein, the wireless service provider market is also dominated by a few large players, with T-Mobile (22%), Verizon (21%) and AT&T (19%) forming a virtual three-way tie at the top.
High customer satisfaction is still a competitive edge. One of Apple’s key competitive advantages is consistently delivering best-in-class customer satisfaction.
Currently, 75% of iPhone owners say they are very satisfied with their device, compared with 71% of Samsung owners and 67% of Google owners.
This margin helps to account for the higher percentage of Apple users who remain loyal to the brand when they buy new devices. While the current results do show a narrowing of the satisfaction gap between Apple and Samsung, Samsung is much less consistent and is more prone to fluctuations in customer satisfaction than Apple.
Brand familiarity drives purchasing decisions. While most Apple (67%) and Samsung (63%) owners say brand familiarity was the top reason why they bought their current phone, there are a couple of key differences as well. Unsurprisingly, a much higher percentage of Samsung owners (44%) cited price as a reason for purchasing their current phone compared with Apple owners (21%). Meanwhile, 34% of Apple owners reported that they bought their phone because friends and family also own iPhones. This compares with just 17% of Samsung owners who said the same. Apple owners were also more likely to cite easy integration with other devices (28% versus 17%) and best-in-class customer support (16% versus 9%). When Apple was first building out its ecosystem, the term “halo effect” referred to buying multiple Apple products based on their interoperability and overall customer satisfaction across device types. Nowadays, it can also refer to a kind of peer pressure or trendiness. Furthermore, interoperability isn’t just about the other devices owned personally. It can include those owned by an entire social circle that wants to interact seamlessly across the same technological backbone (i.e., iPhone-specific features and functionality). Finally, it encompasses the quality of support when device or service problems arise — which Apple also excels at, according to previous surveys.
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