Samsung faces tougher foldables competition as Apple enters the market

17:47

Samsung Electronics is stepping up its campaign for foldable smartphones as Apple enters the market with its first foldable iPhone, intensifying competition in a segment that has been largely shaped by Samsung and Chinese manufacturers.

Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo on Wednesday, introducing a foldable device priced at $1,999. The launch represents a major shift for the premium smartphone market, as Apple brings its large global customer base and strong brand influence into a category that has struggled to reach mass-market adoption.

The Duo features a book-style folding design similar to Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 8, which was introduced less than two months earlier at a starting price of $1,899. Samsung’s device also incorporates artificial intelligence features powered by Alphabet’s Gemini technology.

Market analysts expect Apple’s arrival to significantly alter the competitive landscape. Counterpoint forecasts that Apple could capture around 25% of the global foldable smartphone market this year, compared with an estimated 38% for Samsung. Although Samsung is expected to retain its leadership, the gap could narrow substantially as Apple builds momentum.

Samsung has responded with an extensive advertising campaign in major international markets, including Seoul, Tokyo and London. Its billboards promote the company’s long-standing experience in foldable technology and emphasise the thinness and light weight of its latest devices.

The South Korean manufacturer has also highlighted the engineering work behind its foldable phones, particularly efforts to reduce their weight while maintaining durability. On social media, Samsung reacted to Apple’s launch with a series of sarcastic posts portraying the new iPhone as offering limited innovation compared with products already available.

Apple, meanwhile, has sought to distinguish its approach from earlier foldable smartphones. The company’s new leadership has criticised existing designs as resembling two conventional phones awkwardly joined together, suggesting that the Duo is intended to offer a more integrated experience.

Samsung has a considerable head start in the sector. The company introduced its first mass-market foldable smartphones in 2019, despite early technical problems that included damaged displays and forced delays. Over the following years, it refined the technology through multiple generations and helped establish foldable devices as a distinct premium category.

The company now faces competition not only from Apple but also from Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei. Foldable smartphones remain a relatively small portion of the overall mobile phone market, but manufacturers see them as an important source of premium sales and technological differentiation.

Apple’s entry is particularly significant because the company can rely on an established ecosystem and extensive global distribution network. It is also benefiting from an increasingly mature supply chain developed during years of investment by companies such as Samsung.

Samsung Display, the Korean group’s display-making division, is among the suppliers involved in the broader foldable-screen industry, illustrating how Apple’s entry could simultaneously create new business opportunities for component manufacturers while increasing competitive pressure on Samsung’s smartphone division.

Analysts say Apple’s timing could prove advantageous because foldable technology has had years to mature since the first commercial devices appeared. Rather than taking the risks associated with pioneering the category, Apple is entering at a stage when manufacturers have gained more experience with flexible displays, hinges, battery optimisation and durability.

The launch is therefore likely to put greater pressure on Samsung to accelerate innovation while maintaining competitive prices and improving the reliability of its foldable devices. Apple’s arrival could also encourage other smartphone makers to invest more heavily in the segment.

While foldables remain expensive compared with conventional smartphones, increased competition could gradually improve technology, design and affordability. Apple’s decision to enter the market could ultimately help transform foldable phones from a niche premium product into a more mainstream category.

For Samsung, however, the arrival of the iPhone Duo marks a new phase in a market it helped create. Its early-mover advantage, manufacturing expertise and worldwide distribution remain important strengths, but Apple’s brand power could make the competition significantly more challenging in the years ahead.