(Yicai Global) Dec. 16 -- China’s foldable handset market is growing rapidly despite a downturn in the wider smartphone market, with Chinese producers developing new display technologies and applying for more patents.

China’s top four smartphone makers -- Huawei Technologies, Xiaomi, Oppo Mobile Telecommunications, and Vivo -- and their affiliates have made more than 4,000 patent applications for foldable display technologies, including flexible screens, mobile devices, rotation connectors, per figures from data provider Zhihuiya.

Oppo had 520 patents approved, Vivo 260, Huawei 170, and Xiaomi 150. By comparison, US tech giant Apple and its affiliated firms have applied for over 660 patents on foldable screen tech, of which 400 have been approved.

With the launch of its new foldable models, the Find N2 and Find N2 Flip, Oppo yesterday became the second Chinese firm after Huawei to produce models that open horizontally. Vivo Communication Technology, Honor, and Xiaomi also released their own foldable models recently.

The arrival of these new phones on the market boosted sales in the sector, with shipments in China jumping 70 percent to over 1.1 million units in the first half from a year ago, figures from International Data Corporation China showed. Third-quarter shipments soared 246 percent to more than 1 million, setting a quarterly record.

China’s foldable smartphone market will exceed 3.1 million units this year, up 106 percent from a year ago, said Guo Tianxiang, a senior analyst at IDC China, adding that they will top 6.7 million by 2026.

Improved supply chain technologies have also contributed to new foldable handset models hitting the market.

“The biggest improvement on the supply chain is that foldable screens are becoming lighter, thinner, and have better overall performance,” Honor Chief Executive Zhao Ming said in an interview with Yicai Global last month.

Early-stage investment in developing these screens is huge, with more than CNY1 billion (USD143.4 million) needed per generation, he added.

China’s phone market is generally sluggish, but the foldable segment will likely grow by more than 60 percent next year, Zhou Hua, chief analyst at CINNO Research, told Yicai Global.

“Production costs will fall further as technologies mature, with foldable phones expected to have a bigger market share,” Zhou said.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev