Chinese smartphone maker OPPO unveiled its new Find N6 on the 17th, pitching it as the world's first foldable phone with "no crease." Emphasizing that it has reduced the center crease—long seen as the biggest weakness of foldables—to a level that is virtually imperceptible, the company has effectively thrown down the gauntlet in the premium foldable market led by Samsung Electronics. With Apple expected to debut its first foldable iPhone in the second half of this year, some predict the foldable market will be reshaped into a three-way contest among Samsung, Chinese makers, and Apple.
On the 17th, OPPO said it succeeded in achieving an "imperceptible crease" with the Find N6. Foldables opened the door to the mass market in 2019 when Samsung Electronics launched the Galaxy Fold, but the crease along the hinge remained the weakness consumers were most sensitive to. OPPO said it minimized the crease by improving the hinge design and a 3D liquid printing process while using a Samsung Display panel. The company said it filled the minute gap at the fold with a liquid material and cured it to improve flatness, and applied self-leveling glass to reduce crease depth from long-term use by 82% compared with the previous model. OPPO said it lowered the display height difference from the industry standard 0.2 mm to around 0.05 mm.
Early reviews said, "In everyday use, the crease is barely visible," and "It's the least distracting among the foldables I've used so far." While Chinese makers had expanded share by leaning on price competitiveness, some say they are now directly targeting premium demand by elevating hardware polish. According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung Electronics led the global foldable market last year with a 40% share, followed by Huawei at 30%, Motorola at 12%, and Honor at 7%.
If Apple joins in, the market landscape could be shaken even more. Apple has been weighing its timing to enter as issues with creases and durability were largely addressed and foldables established themselves in the high-end premium market. Industry watchers believe that if Apple absorbs significant iPhone demand with its first foldable iPhone, the market itself could grow to a new level.
Counterpoint Research projected that Apple's entry will boost global foldable shipments this year by 20% from a year earlier, and that Apple could rise to No. 2 in market share behind Samsung.