Samsung Cuts Foldable Phone Production Volume Ahead of July Launch

Samsung is gearing up to launch its next-generation foldable phones in the second half of July 2025. While the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 bring some nice upgrades, the company seemingly doesn’t expect a sales growth. In fact, it forecasts lower initial shipments and has reportedly cut production volume. One possible reason is that several market research firms have estimated foldable phone shipments to drop globally this year.

Samsung lowers foldable phone production by 260K units

Samsung has already begun teasing its upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7. The company hints that the new foldable will feature larger screens, better cameras, and improved performance. While the Korean firm is building hype and promising an ultra-premium experience, it is being cautious with its initial production volume for all foldable models.

According to TheElec, Samsung recently told its partners that it will make 1.34 million foldable phones in June. This includes 550,000 units of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, 630,000 units of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and 160,000 units of the Z Flip FE. What’s surprising is that just a month ago, the Korean firm had planned to produce 1.6 million foldable phones in June. The new number is 260,000 units less, suggesting a drop in Samsung’s confidence in early demand.

Global smartphone shipment forecasts

A few weeks ago, Market research firm SigmaIntel predicted that global smartphone shipments would suffer a decline to 1.1 billion units. The reason for this massive decline is the Trump administration’s reciprocal US tariffs and retaliatory tariffs from other countries. If this turns out to be true, it could directly impact Samsung’s foldable shipments, hence a lower initial production volume.

An earlier report suggested that US tariffs may force Samsung to increase the price of its upcoming foldable phones by up to 40%. While tariffs have not yet been imposed, Samsung may be preparing for this possibility by lowering its production volume, as demand could be low.

Meanwhile, Samsung has increased the production volume of its Galaxy S25 series for June. This suggests the Korean firm is getting strong demand for its flagship models from buyers worldwide. It will be interesting to see if Samsung receives solid responses from customers when it debuts its new foldable lineup next month, particularly with the introduction of an affordable model.