Here’s Samsung’s Advice for Apple and Its Upcoming Folding iPhone
Here’s Samsung’s Advice for Apple and Its Upcoming Folding iPhone. Skip to main contentSave this storySave this storyOn the eve of Apple’s highly anticipated folding iPhone, Samsung isn’t feeling threatened.
What happened
" Apple’s folding iPhone, rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, is expected to weigh between 230 and 241 grams (the iPhone 17 Pro Max weighs 233 grams), heftier than Samsung’s latest. Fallon/Bloomberg / Getty Images Hardware What we expect from the upcoming Apple launch Amanda Silberling 8:58 AM PDT · September 7, 2026 It’s finally happening — this week, we are (probably) about to see Apple’s first foldable iPhone, more than five years after Samsung launched its first foldable phone.
When I asked what advice the company had for Apple ahead of its folding debut, Moon said, “The key to providing the highest customer value in this market is all about the weight of the device. Apple’s folding iPhone is also expected to have a wider and shorter passport-style shape, and it’s likely to have a similar camera setup. Apple’s folding iPhone is rumored to cost around $2,000. Skip NavigationMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPolitics & PolicyVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuKey PointsXiaomi and Huawei launched new foldable smartphones ahead of Apple’s Wednesday event, where the company is rumored to unveil its first foldable iPhone.
In this article1810-HKAAPLFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTwatch nowVIDEO4:3604:36New foldable competitors to iPhone: Here's what to knowSquawk BoxHuawei and Xiaomi this week rolled out their latest foldable phones as the Chinese tech giants look to steal a lead on rival Apple, which is rumored to launch its first foldable iPhone on Wednesday.
The wider picture
Apple is holding an event on Wednesday, where it is rumored to be unveiling the first foldable iPhone, a major new product under new CEO John Ternus. "There is significant pent-up demand for a foldable iPhone within the Apple community," Neil Shah, partner at Counterpoint Research, told CNBC on Tuesday. Apple is almost certain to launch its first foldable iPhone tomorrow, seven years after Samsung’s Galaxy Fold initially went on sale. Samsung in particular has probably known of Apple’s plans for some time, since it’s reportedly the manufacturer of the foldable display panel inside the new iPhone.
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Instead, the folding smartphone pioneer says the competition is “absolutely welcome. ”That’s according to Hee-Cheul Moon, head of Samsung’s Advanced Mechanical R&D Group, who sat with WIRED on a virtual Zoom call with Seungki Choi, head of Samsung’s Smartphone R&D Group. Over the past two years, folding devices from Honor, Google, and Samsung have rapidly gotten lighter, with each iteration featuring thinner designs.
What has been reported
It may be why Samsung saw preorders for its latest folding handsets increase 30 percent globally versus last year’s models, with the Fold8—the device with a new smaller shape that’s easier to hold—accounting for nearly half. To keep that thinner panel durable, Samsung developed its “Flex Titanium” screen—a titanium alloy film roughly one-third the width of a human hair designed to maintain surface flatness and keep the crease from worsening over years of folding.
You’ll also notice Samsung’s primary folding phone no longer has three cameras on the back. Both Apple and Samsung made similar concessions last year chasing ultrathin and light smartphones. Choi says this came down to user feedback as Samsung’s customers wanted a folding device that was “effortlessly portable” yet could be unfolded for an immersive multimedia experience. Nabila Popal, senior research director at the International Data Corporation, says this niche market is stabilizing, and the upcoming iPhone is expected to help the category grow nearly 13 percent year over year—the only bit of growth in the smartphone market right now.
Skip to main contentSave this storySave this storyEvery year around this time, Apple announces new iPhones. Apple’s iPhone event will be held on September 9 at 10 am Pacific (1 pm Eastern), announced last week with the title “Surprise and Shine! ” If you tune into the livestream, expect the announcement of an iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and, if all the rumors and widely held analyst expectations are true, the first look at an Apple foldable device.
What happens next
Based on leaks and the ongoing tech rumor mill and its decent track record for figuring these things out, Apple is expected to prioritize its more expensive, premium devices this year and hold off on announcing its base model iPhone 18. Apple’s portfolio has also expanded, and the iPhone Pro and Pro Max lineup are more enticing for people already prepared to spend the money on a new iPhone. Samsung’s entire 2026 Galaxy Z folding smartphone range saw price increases, as did Google’s new Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and Motorola’s Razr 2026 models.
Luke LarsenAfter Testing Hundreds of Laptops, These Are the Best Options I RecommendI’ve been reviewing laptops for over a decade, and here's my advice on how to find the right laptop for you. Apple could ship 6 million foldable iPhones this year and capture 25% of the global foldable smartphone market, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple would face Samsung globally, which dominates the foldable market. Some have switched, but they might come back if there is an amazing foldable iPhone.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across wired.com, cnbc.com, theverge.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.