Samsung downplays threat from anticipated foldable iPhone
TM Roh, interim president of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile eXperience (MX) division, told attendees after the Galaxy Unpacked event in London that seven years of investment in foldable devices gives Samsung a technical and experiential lead that can’t be closed overnight—even by a competitor the size of Apple.
Why Samsung isn’t losing sleep over a foldable iPhone
For Roh, the race is no longer about who ships the first foldable device, but who has learned the most from real-world user behavior. Samsung argues its seven years of development—dating back to the 2019 Galaxy Fold—have yielded refinements in hinges, durability, flexible-display ergonomics and software adaptation. Those gains, the company says, don’t simply show up on a spec sheet.
Accumulated hardware and software advances
Samsung points to concrete improvements: slimmer hinge mechanisms, optimized displays and a reduction of the early trade-offs that plagued initial foldable models. On the software side, One UI has been iterated across multiple generations to better support multitasking, drag-and-drop sharing and app continuity across folding screens—optimizations Samsung says matter more in daily use than headline specs.
The company also highlights practical wins in the latest generations: lighter devices, larger batteries than before, faster charging support, launch with One UI 9 based on Android 17, and a stated commitment to seven years of software and security updates.
A lineup designed to segment the foldable market
Rather than concentrating on a single flagship, Samsung has expanded its foldable family: Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra and Z Flip8. The Fold8 adopts a wider, shorter form factor (16:10 cover ratio and 4:3 internal ratio) aimed at everyday tasks like web browsing and reading. The Fold8 Ultra positions itself as a productivity-focused premium tool, with a large internal display, a 200MP sensor, silicon-carbon battery tech, 45W charging and enhanced thermal management. The Z Flip8 continues to target users seeking compactness and style.
This diversified portfolio underscores Samsung’s strategy: treat foldables as a mature, segmented category—mirroring the “standard / Plus / Ultra” logic used in traditional smartphone lineups.
Apple’s entrance: validation more than an immediate threat
Industry watchers expect Apple to unveil a foldable iPhone before year’s end, which would renew consumer interest in the category and likely encourage more developers to optimize apps for folding displays. TM Roh acknowledged the significance of Apple entering the space but framed it as market validation rather than an instant disruption to Samsung’s position.
Unconfirmed reports have suggested Apple faces technical challenges—hinges and foldable display manufacturing among them—which, Samsung argues, highlight the complexity of scaling reliable production for a new generation of devices. Roh and his team prefer to emphasize the technical and experiential barriers Samsung has accumulated since 2019.
Samsung doesn’t dismiss the potential impact of a foldable iPhone on public attention or the app ecosystem, but stresses that commercial success is a long game: the winner will be the company that has spent the most time optimizing hardware, software and manufacturing. By advancing with a segmented foldable lineup, Samsung is betting on consolidating its lead and making foldables a mainstream, mature category rather than a niche novelty.
