Samsung says that foldable smartphone shipments grew by over 300% in 2021

Samsung will celebrate 10 years of working on foldable mobile device technology with the launch of its fourth-gen flagship phablet and clamshell handsets on August 10, 2022. The OEM's president and head of its MX divison Dr. TM Roh has casually confirmed this date yet again in a new blog post on how flexible screens can "redefine what’s possible for people everywhere".

The form-factor's ability to do so is apparently partially based on its market stats, which, as Samsung has found, are growing in health by the year. Its shipments have reportedly grown by more than 300% year-on-year in 2021, leading Roh to project that this "fast-paced" trend will persist into 2022.

The OEM has also found that about 30% of buyers in the space went for the more expensive Fold-series phablets, however. The devices are touted to have "empowered them to do more through hyper-connected, individual computing", whereas Flip users get to "see the world from a different point of view" in general.

Interestingly, Samsung's president refers to the 2 device types as the "Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip" throughout his new editiorial on the subject, thereby possibly hinting at the abandonment of the additional "Z" branding going forward.

In a world where Xiaomi flagships, for one, are not Mi anymore, this is understandable - not to mention the more recent connotations arising from the war in Ukraine. Therefore, the introduction of this updated naming scheme at the upcoming Unpacked event would not be altogether unsurprising.