
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo said the company is currently not keen on launching foldable phones in India as demand for the product segment is yet to grow across the industry.
“The demand for foldable phones in India is not high yet. Oppo’s launch of foldable phones in the country will depend on the demand of the Indian consumer,” Peter Duhyung Lee, head of product strategy at Oppo, told FE.
Analysts say the reasons for low demand for foldable phones can be attributed to high prices and hinge issues in some phones, which cause the screen to crease, creating visible lines in the fold.
According to Lee, the country’s lack of foldable phones could be due to the high temperature, environment and other conditions, which are different compared to other countries globally.
Notably, Oppo’s flip-type foldable phones — Find N2 Flip and N3 Flip — are available in India.
According to Counterpoint, shipments of foldable phones in India were less than 500,000 units in 2024, down from nearly 1 million in 2023.
Shilpi Jain, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research said, “Not only in India but also globally, foldable uptake is low and not as expected by companies. India is a price-sensitive market and it is important to The prices of foldable phones should be reduced to increase it.
Analysts say that Samsung currently leads the market share of foldable phones.
Faisal Kawsa, chief analyst at Techarc, said, “Companies are pushing foldables as just another piece of hardware and not a solution. So, consumers aren’t benefiting from buying these expensive phones.” We need to find real use cases.
Foldable phones in India usually cost more than Rs 1 lakh. Oppo said that Indian consumers prefer flagship smartphones more than foldable phones.
Oppo recently launched the Reno 13 smartphone series in India, priced at Rs 37,999. The company is banking on its AI features along with durability and design in the phones to win market share in the country.
According to IDC, Oppo’s market share in the country stood at 13.9% in the July-September quarter of 2024, just behind market leader Vivo at 15.8%.
“Oppo is investing heavily in AI democratization. Consumers also understand the value of Oppo AI, offering features like better photography, image editing, etc.,” Lee said, adding that consumers from Rs.15,000 More devices can get highly usable AI features.
Recently, brands like Apple, Samsung and Google, among others, have been wooing consumers with AI features in their smartphones.
According to Lee, AI isn’t the only factor for consumers to consider in a product yet. Consumers prioritize design, durability, fast charging, and technology and then decide to buy a phone.
The company has sold 50 million smartphones globally in 2024.
On catering to customers upgrading to 5G, Lee said, “Oppo will work with Indian operators (telcos) to explore opportunities to provide the most suitable 5G phones for 4G upgraders.”
When asked if the company wants to launch affordable 5G phones in the entry-level segment (under Rs 10,000) like Xiaomi, Li said, “The quality of the Oppo brand is very good. We want to offer attractive pricing for our phones. We don’t want to lower phone prices by sacrificing quality.
Oppo currently operates in the price range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Lee said Oppo’s 5G phone starts at Rs 11,000.
Over the past decade, Oppo has filed more than 5,600 patents related to AI inventions globally.