Indians open up to 'folding' phones with Rs 1 lakh+ price tags

NEW DELHI: Foldable phones or those offering

dual screens

are gaining in volumes as video and

content consumption

remains strong and these ultra-premium devices also offer flaunt factor to buyers. And, many

financing options

, which enable buyers to pay for the devices (in most cases cost upwards of Rs 1 lakh) through EMIs, make purchasing relatively easier.

While Samsung was the first to bet on the category in 2019, others have also joined the trend. In June, Vivo made a debut with X Fold3, while Motorola sells Motorola Razr and OnePlus Open. Oppo also brought Find N3 Flip in October last year.
In line with the current trend of devices becoming intelligent, most of the dual screen smartphones now come heavily built around AI, offering features such as circle to search, chat assist and sketch to image.
Samsung is using AI as a strong pull factor to market the sixth generation of its flagship Galaxy Z Fold6, which it launched with an entry price of Rs 1.6 lakh (256 GB version) on Wednesday. Samsung's Flip carries a price tag of Rs 1.1 lakh.

"The dual screens are gradually getting their own set of buyers, largely as devices are aspirational, offer large screen size for watching content and come with a novelty factor," Raju Pullam, senior VP of Samsung's India mobile business, told TOI. "We are seeing a lot of consumer upgrades to dual screens, especially from the Rs 30,000-50,000 category."
As per IDC, almost a million foldable phones were sold in India last year, still a small number in the overall industry sales of 146 million units. However, companies say the adoption is only going to go up as higher content consumption and faster networks, such as 5G, will prompt people to go for bigger screens.
"

Foldable smartphones

offer larger displays, making work and entertainment more accessible and enjoyable. Potential buyers of foldable devices are seeking not just a premium smartphone experience but a device that enables efficient multitasking for long hours on the go, along with primary functions," a Vivo executive said.