Russians Are Embracing Foldable Phones
Flexible-display technology is moving beyond its status as a niche trend and becoming a mainstream consumer choice. According to data from the combined retail network of MegaFon and Yota, sales of foldable devices climbed 55% year over year. Consumer preferences for different form factors also vary by gender and age.
This year, flip phones accounted for nearly two-thirds of all foldable devices sold (62%). These compact smartphones fold horizontally in half. Fold-style devices, which open vertically like a book, posted much stronger growth, however, with sales up 91% compared with 40% for flip models. As a result, the installed user base has become almost evenly split between the two categories: 52% use flip phones, while 48% own fold-style devices.
Demand also varies by region. Fold-style devices are especially popular in Krasnodar Krai, where they outsell even Moscow, which ranks second, followed by St. Petersburg in third place. Flip phones are most popular among Moscow residents, followed by users in St. Petersburg and Krasnodar Krai. Notably, Moscow alone accounts for more than half of all foldable smartphone sales.
Consumer preferences differ not only by form factor but also by storage capacity. Among flip phones, 256GB models are the clear favorite, representing 48% of sales. In the fold category, the premium 1TB configuration leads with a 35% share, while the 256GB version ranks second at 27%.
Flip phones are more popular with women, who account for 73.5% of users. More than 60% of them are between 20 and 40 years old. Buyers cite advanced personalization features, high-quality selfie cameras, and compact size as the main reasons for choosing the format. Folded in half, the device fits comfortably in one hand.
The audience for fold-style devices is predominantly male, accounting for 70.6% of users. The most active age group is 35–54, representing 65% of owners. Users value the larger display for tasks such as working with office applications and watching video, including live sports broadcasts.
