Samsung Shares Advice for Apple Ahead of Its Folding iPhone Launch
Samsung executives explain how they cut 75 grams off the Galaxy Z Fold series over seven years and say weight will be Apple's biggest challenge with its upcoming folding iPhone. The company welcomes the competition, though experts warn durability remains an unsolved issue for foldables.
As Apple prepares to launch its first folding iPhone, reportedly to be called the iPhone Ultra, Samsung executives say they welcome the competition rather than fear it. In an interview, Hee-Cheul Moon, head of Samsung's Advanced Mechanical R&D Group, and Seungki Choi, head of its Smartphone R&D Group, said rival brands entering the foldable market validate the category Samsung pioneered seven years ago.
Samsung says its latest Galaxy Z Fold8 is 75 grams lighter than the original Galaxy Fold released seven years ago. To achieve this, engineers examined roughly 270 components and more than 180 auxiliary parts, redesigning the circuit board, removing 15 auxiliary parts, and machining the internal display support plate down to about 0.2 millimeters. A new titanium alloy film, called Flex Titanium, was developed to keep the thinner screen durable.
The weight-cutting effort also affected the camera system: the standard Fold8 now has just two cameras — a main and an ultrawide — dropping the telephoto lens, while the larger Fold8 Ultra retains a three-camera setup with a 200-megapixel main sensor. Apple's folding iPhone is expected to follow a similar approach, with a wide, short passport-style design and a comparable dual-camera setup.
Moon said weight is the single most important factor for customer satisfaction with foldables, noting that Apple's device is rumored to weigh over 230 grams — heavier than Samsung's latest models.
Durability remains a concern
Despite Samsung's weight-saving progress, the Fold8 still carries only an IP48 dust and water resistance rating, well below the IP68 standard common in regular flagship phones. iFixit's Elizabeth Chamberlain says foldable hinges remain especially vulnerable to dust damage and difficult to repair, a problem seen across brands, including Google's Pixel Fold line.
Industry analysts expect Apple's entry to help the foldable market grow nearly 13 percent year over year after several quarters of decline, though it remains unclear whether Apple has solved the durability and hinge issues that continue to challenge the category.
