New Delhi, Apr 4 (IANS): About 28 per cent of current smartphone users in the US are highly likely to prefer a foldable smartphone as their next purchase, a new report showed on Tuesday.

According to Counterpoint Research, the installed base of foldable smartphones in the US stood at 4.7 million in 2022.

Among the smartphone brands, Samsung is the most preferred brand for foldable purchase for 46 per cent of the respondents, followed by Apple with 39 per cent, and Motorola with 6 per cent.

"Samsung remains the first choice for foldable smartphones in the US. However, there is a lot of vacuum and excitement among consumers for a foldable iPhone, which is evident in the survey. Motorola and other Android OEMs are also warming up to the foldable form factor to get a slice of the premium smartphone market in the US," said Research Director, North America Jeff Fieldhack.

Moreover, the report mentioned that about 49 per cent of respondents ranked the flip-type foldable at the top, followed by the book-type foldable.

In the male respondents, more than half prefer the flip-type foldable, whereas in the female respondents, the preference is slightly lower at 47 per cent.

However, the preference for the book-type foldable is stronger among female respondents (40 per cent) than male respondents (30 per cent).

"Foldables have performed better in controlling the shift from Android to iOS. However, we don't expect foldables to become the dominant form factor anytime soon in the US. Foldables will continue to co-exist with the candy bar design for years to come," said Associate Director of North America research Hanish Bhatia.

In addition, the report said that those with monthly incomes over $10,000 are most likely (41 per cent) to opt for a foldable phone for their next smartphone purchase.

In 2023, the global foldable smartphone market is expected to reach 22.7 million units, according to the report.