On the eve of Apple’s anticipated launch of its foldable iPhone, Moon Hee-chul, the leader of Samsung’s Advanced Mechanical R&D Group, and Choi Seung-ki, the head of Samsung’s Smartphone R&D Group, expressed their openness to the competition. They noted that the significance of the foldable phone category, which Samsung pioneered, has now been widely acknowledged within the industry. Since the introduction of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series seven years ago, the company has made strides in refining the design. By optimizing components and streamlining camera setups, the latest model, the Fold8, has shed 75 grams, bringing its total weight down to a mere 201 grams. Pre-orders for the Fold8 have surged by 30% compared to the previous year’s model, with the Fold8 accounting for nearly half of all orders. Samsung highlighted that this weight reduction was driven by consumer demand for greater portability. Additionally, the Fold8 has addressed the issue of thick black borders in audio-visual scenarios, offering an improved viewing experience.

However, the Fold8 series falls short in terms of dust and water resistance, achieving only an IP48 rating, and it has a repairability score of 4 points. Samsung, nevertheless, asserts that its dust and water resistance performance is unparalleled in the industry and that the internal components are designed for easier disassembly and repair. Currently, Google’s Pixel foldable phone stands out as the only foldable device to achieve an IP68 rating, though it still faces potential dust-related concerns.

According to IDC, Apple’s entry into the foldable smartphone market is poised to fuel a nearly 13% year-over-year growth in the category. This is largely due to the easing of consumer worries regarding the hardware reliability of foldable phones.