Samsung can't afford to play it safe with Apple's first foldable looming
Samsung is expected to unveil new foldable phones, including a wider Fold model, at its Galaxy Unpacked event to get ahead of Apple's first foldable iPhone coming later this year.
Tomorrow's Galaxy Unpacked event focused on foldables could be Samsung's biggest in years. The company is expected to launch new versions of its Fold and Flip phones while also introducing a brand new Fold form factor that's shorter and wider. This would be the second overhaul to Samsung's foldable lineup in less than 12 months, following last year's Galaxy Z TriFold.
For years, Samsung relied on the little Flip and the big Fold, but that strategy is no longer enough. With the first foldable iPhone on the horizon, the company can't afford to play it safe. Leaks have pointed to a wider Samsung foldable for months, and the company itself has teased "a new shape" for foldable phones. Unpacked invitations show a ticket stub torn off, leaving a shorter part behind.
A wider foldable isn't entirely new. Huawei was first this year with its passport-shaped Pura X Max, but the design goes back further: Google's original Pixel Fold, Oppo's Find N, and Microsoft's Surface Duo were all wider. Ironically, the main reason these wider foldables faded is because Samsung rejected the design, optimizing its Folds for slim outer screens and square inner ones.
Samsung's dominance in foldables came from first-mover advantage and market influence. But competitors have pushed the company to catch up with innovations like nearly creaseless displays and dustproofing. Last year, Samsung impressed with the thin Z Fold 7 and the edge-to-edge cover screen of the Z Flip 7.
Now Apple's entry is imminent. IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo predicts Apple will capture 34% of the foldable market by value in its first year. Samsung hopes a rising tide lifts all boats, but the risk is that Apple disrupts its seven-year dominance. Introducing a wider foldable now insures against the worst case—unanimous praise for the foldable iPhone—while keeping the Flip and Fold as backup.
But copying Apple carries risks. Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge flopped, and the iPhone Air disappointed. The Galaxy Z TriFold lasted less than three months in the US. Tomorrow's event will reveal Samsung's hand, and Apple's response may come in two months. Either way, Samsung cannot afford to wait—expanding its lineup is a gamble, but the risks of inaction could be even greater.
