The foldable iPhone has arrived, and Samsung is wasting no time responding. Apple unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the $1,999 iPhone Duo, on September 9, putting a major new competitor directly against Samsung in a market the South Korean company has helped build since 2019.
Samsung’s response has been unusually direct. The company has launched a promotional campaign emphasizing its experience, hardware development and lightweight foldable designs. At the same time, Samsung has used social media to take sarcastic shots at Apple’s entry into a category it believes it helped define.
The timing is significant. Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold8 less than two months before Apple introduced the iPhone Duo. The two devices share a passport-like folding concept, with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 starting at $1,899 and Apple’s new foldable starting at $1,999 in the United States.
For Samsung, however, the biggest concern may not be Apple’s first device. It is what Apple’s arrival could do to the entire foldable market.
Foldable iPhone Changes the Competition
For years, foldable smartphones remained a relatively specialized part of the mobile industry.
Samsung was one of the earliest major smartphone manufacturers to make foldables a central part of its product strategy. The company introduced its first mass-market foldable phones in 2019 and has since gone through multiple generations of hardware improvements.
Chinese manufacturers, including Huawei and Xiaomi, have also pushed the technology forward. Huawei has particularly challenged Samsung in China, while newer designs such as tri-fold phones have demonstrated that the category can evolve beyond the traditional book-style format.
Apple’s entry changes the equation because of the enormous size and influence of the iPhone ecosystem.
Apple does not need to invent the basic concept of a folding smartphone. Instead, it can enter after competitors have spent years addressing problems involving durability, hinges, display creases, software and battery life.
That is precisely why analysts see Apple’s move as potentially disruptive.
Counterpoint expects Apple to capture about 25% of the foldable market this year, compared with an expected 38% share for Samsung. Analyst Liz Lee said Apple’s entry could change the competitive landscape while creating the most visible share pressure for Samsung.
1. Samsung Is Selling Experience
Samsung’s first major advantage is simple: experience.
The company has been developing foldable smartphones for years. That gives it a substantial amount of engineering knowledge about hinges, flexible displays, device thickness, durability and software designed for larger screens.
Samsung is now turning that history into a marketing argument.
Its new campaign includes billboards in cities such as Seoul, Tokyo and London. One slogan, “Welcome to Foldables,” effectively frames Apple as a newcomer entering territory Samsung already knows well.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 also reflects how Samsung has refined its design philosophy.
Samsung says the device weighs 201 grams and features a 7.6-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch cover screen and a thinner body. The company has emphasized a lighter frame, an updated hinge and improved durability.
That gives Samsung a straightforward argument for customers: Apple may have just launched its first foldable, but Samsung has already spent years improving the technology.
Suggested internal link: [Read more about Samsung Galaxy smartphones]
2. Samsung Is Targeting Weight and Design
One of the biggest challenges facing foldable phones has always been physical design.
Consumers want the benefits of a large screen without carrying a device that feels like a small tablet in their pockets.
Samsung has increasingly focused on this problem.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 is designed around a wider cover screen and a large internal display. Samsung describes it as its lightest Fold yet at 201 grams. Its internal screen measures 7.6 inches, while the company lists a thickness of 4.5 mm when unfolded.
Apple is taking a similar passport-style approach with the iPhone Duo.
Apple says its foldable has a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display. The company has also emphasized its thin design, a precision hinge and a nano-texture finish intended to reduce glare.
That creates a fascinating situation.
Samsung is no longer competing against Apple with a radically different concept. Instead, both companies are competing to convince consumers that their interpretation of the book-style foldable is the better one.
The difference may come down to weight, software, cameras, battery life, ecosystem integration and how comfortable each device feels during everyday use.
3. Samsung Has a Head Start in Foldable Software
Hardware is only part of the foldable experience.
A larger display is useful only if apps and operating systems make good use of it.
Samsung has spent years building multitasking features around its foldable displays. The Galaxy Z Fold8 is designed for side-by-side productivity, while Samsung also promotes features such as Samsung DeX that can turn the phone into a desktop-style workstation when connected to external equipment.
Apple, meanwhile, is adapting iOS specifically for the iPhone Duo.
Apple says iOS 27 has been reworked to support different orientations and poses on the foldable. The company highlights side-by-side apps, hands-free FaceTime and flexible viewing angles as important parts of the experience.
This could become one of the most important battles between the two companies.
Samsung has experience.
Apple has ecosystem control.
The company does not need to convince existing iPhone users that iOS works. Instead, it needs to show that iOS can make a foldable phone feel natural rather than simply putting a familiar operating system onto a different screen.
4. Samsung Is Fighting With Price and Value
Price could become another major battleground.
Apple’s iPhone Duo starts at $1,999. That puts it firmly in the premium smartphone category and makes the device more expensive than Samsung’s $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold8 starting price.
The $100 difference is relatively small at this price level.
However, it gives Samsung an opportunity to position the Galaxy Z Fold8 as the more established alternative.
Samsung also has experience using trade-in programs and carrier promotions to reduce the effective purchase price of premium Galaxy devices.
The company currently promotes substantial trade-in incentives for the Galaxy Z Fold8 in the United States.
Apple’s brand strength, meanwhile, could make the higher price less important for some consumers.
That is where the competition becomes particularly interesting.
If Apple can persuade millions of existing iPhone owners to move to a $1,999 foldable, the device could expand the entire category. Samsung may lose some customers to Apple, but it could also benefit from a larger foldable market.
5. Samsung Is Using Apple’s Entry to Promote Foldables
Samsung’s most aggressive response has been marketing.
Following Apple’s announcement, Samsung posted sarcastic comments on X criticizing what it characterized as limited innovation in Apple’s design. The company used phrases including “reheating our leftovers” and “So far, so same.”
That strategy is not unusual for Samsung.
The company has frequently positioned itself as the more innovative alternative to Apple. But this time, the stakes are higher because Apple has entered one of Samsung’s most important product categories.
Samsung is essentially trying to turn Apple’s launch into evidence that foldables have become mainstream.
The message is clear: Samsung was there first, and Apple is now following.
That argument could resonate with technology enthusiasts. Yet ordinary consumers may care less about which company arrived first.
They are more likely to ask which phone is easier to use, lasts longer, takes better pictures and fits naturally into their existing digital lives.
The Foldable iPhone Could Help Samsung Too
Despite the obvious competitive threat, Apple’s arrival could also be good news for Samsung.
Foldables have struggled to move beyond a relatively small segment of the smartphone market. Reuters has previously reported that issues such as screen creases, battery limitations and camera performance have helped keep the technology from becoming mainstream.
Apple has a unique ability to change consumer perceptions.
The original iPhone did not invent touch-screen smartphones. But Apple’s implementation helped make the technology mainstream.
The same dynamic could happen with foldables.
If consumers who previously ignored Samsung or Huawei suddenly become interested in foldable phones because Apple offers one, Samsung could benefit from increased category awareness.
That could create a larger overall market even as Samsung’s percentage share declines.
The question is whether Samsung can maintain enough of its existing customer base while attracting consumers who are now considering foldables for the first time.
Apple Is Also Relying on Samsung’s Supply Chain
There is an additional twist to the competition.
Apple is entering a foldable market in which Samsung has already helped establish a sophisticated supply chain.
Reuters reported that Apple’s foldable uses parts from the ecosystem Samsung helped develop, including foldable displays produced by Samsung Display.
That means the rivalry is not completely straightforward.
Samsung Electronics can compete with Apple’s iPhone business while companies within the broader Samsung supply ecosystem can potentially benefit from Apple’s demand for foldable components.
It is a familiar pattern in the technology industry.
Competitors can simultaneously be customers, suppliers and rivals.
Apple’s Timing Could Be a Major Advantage
Apple’s late arrival may actually be part of the company’s strategy.
CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood said Apple is good at entering markets when a product reaches a certain level of maturity.
That approach has clear advantages.
Apple can study the mistakes made by earlier foldable manufacturers. It can examine how consumers use large displays, what problems they complain about and which design compromises are unacceptable.
Apple can then enter with a product designed around lessons learned from the first generation of the market.
The iPhone Duo illustrates that strategy.
Apple says the device uses a precision hinge, a large 7.6-inch internal display and a redesigned version of iOS built specifically around the foldable form factor. The company also says the device is its thinnest iPhone when opened.
That does not guarantee success.
But it gives Apple an opportunity to avoid some of the early experimentation that competitors faced.
Samsung’s Head Start Will Still Matter
Apple’s advantages should not overshadow Samsung’s position.
Samsung has already built a global foldable business. It has multiple product generations, established retail relationships, carrier partnerships and years of customer feedback.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 also arrives with a mature ecosystem of Galaxy devices and services.
Samsung’s official specifications highlight its large inner display, lighter 201-gram design, 4,800mAh battery and Galaxy AI features.
The company therefore has more than hardware.
It has an existing foldable identity.
Apple now has to build one.
The Real Battle Is Bigger Than Apple vs. Samsung
The arrival of the foldable iPhone marks an important moment for the entire smartphone industry.
Samsung has spent years trying to convince consumers that foldable phones are more than an expensive novelty. Apple is now giving the category its strongest mainstream endorsement yet.
That could accelerate adoption.
It could also force Samsung to move faster.
The next generation of foldables may become thinner, lighter, more durable and more capable as manufacturers compete for customers at the premium end of the smartphone market.
Samsung will have to prove that its years of experience translate into meaningful advantages.
Apple will have to prove that its enormous ecosystem and brand power can turn a first-generation foldable into a mainstream product.
Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi are continuing to push new form factors and high-end specifications, making the market even more competitive.
The result could be a much larger foldable industry than the one Samsung originally entered in 2019.
What Happens Next?
Apple’s iPhone Duo is scheduled to become available on October 23, with preorders beginning October 16.
That means the most important test is still ahead.
Interest generated by Apple’s announcement will need to translate into actual purchases. Reviews will examine durability, battery life, camera performance and software. Consumers will then decide whether the foldable design justifies a price approaching $2,000.
Samsung, meanwhile, has already started its counterattack.
Its message is simple: Apple may be new to foldables, but Samsung is not.
The coming months will reveal whether that experience is enough.
If Apple succeeds, the company could rapidly expand the foldable market and challenge Samsung’s leadership. If Samsung retains its advantage, the Galaxy Z Fold line could demonstrate that years of specialization still matter in a market where Apple’s brand power is finally entering the competition.
Either way, the arrival of the foldable iPhone means foldable smartphones are no longer just Samsung’s experiment.
