Samsung just fired its best shot at the iPhone Fold

It’s no secret that Apple tends to experiment with prototypes privately, while many of their rivals use their customers as guinea pigs. The iPhone maker, for the most part, has historically refrained from putting out “unfinished” products, while Samsung, Google, and others prefer to iterate in public with products that could use some more time in the lab. Nowhere is that clearer than with folding phones. Samsung has been launching new foldable phones for half a decade with varying success, while Apple has yet to announce its first folding iPhone.

Samsung’s Unpacked event earlier this week was unlike any previous one, however. For the first time, it feels like the latest Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn’t an overpriced beta product riddled with design imperfections and other compromises. It has seemingly matured into a practical, multifunctional phone that caters to a wider range of users far beyond rabid early adopters. This is great news for Samsung fans—but possibly even better news for those anticipating the iPhone Fold, rumored to launch next year.

Crease decrease

Perhaps the most glaring issue with early Galaxy Z Fold models was the display crease. Samsung’s early foldable screens would develop a visible line in the center after repeated folding. Not only would it strip the devices of their flagship feel, but in some cases, it would affect usability and lead to untimely repairs.

Samsung managed to minimize the problem over the years through design tweaks, and the latest Galaxy Z Fold 7 incorporates an even more durable hinge. Taking this into account, it’s realistic to assume that the iPhone Fold won’t suffer from any major crease complications when it launches in September 2026. Apple has had sufficient time to develop a long-lasting solution, as the screen crease has been rumored to be its biggest priority. When the iPhone Fold launches next year, it will need to be utterly flawless just to match the Z Fold 7.

Thinpossible

Another common foldable phone drawback is the design, namely, thickness and weight. Manufacturers are essentially stitching two smartphones together—all while maintaining their durability, high-end specifications, etc. Slimming them down is no easy feat. Nevertheless, Samsung has finally polished the design with its Galaxy Z Fold 7, suggesting Apple is going down a similar path.

The latest Samsung foldable weighs only 215g and has a thickness of 8.9mm and 4.2mm when folded and unfolded, respectively. For comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max weighs 227g and is 8.25mm thick. So, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has essentially become a normal-sized smartphone when folded and an ultra-slim tablet in its unfolded form. It’s no longer an overwhelming, chunky brick. It’s so thin, in fact, Samsung had to drop S-Pen support.

Given that this year’s iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be 5.5mm thin (and the incredibly powerful iPad Pro M4 is just 5.1mm thin), it’s likely Apple has figured out a way to make the iPhone Fold similarly thin. But how thin is the question—and what Apple will need to sacrifice to get there.

Pro-formance

Another technological milestone is powering the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a flagship processor—the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. With such a thin body, overheating is obviously a concern, which is something Apple has already figured out with its own silicon. As I mentioned above, look no further than the iPad Pro and upcoming iPhone 17 Air to see how incredibly efficient Apple’s chips are.

If it launches next year as rumored, we assume the iPhone Fold will offer the yet-to-be-announced A20 Pro to deliver advanced iPadOS 26-like features, such as app windowing, when unfolded. Folding phones have been established as premium devices, and Apple will likely follow suit by putting its most powerful mobile chip into its highest-end device.

Sharp shooting

Incorporating a Pro camera system into a slim foldable is yet another obstacle that Samsung has overcome. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers an impressive triple rear lens setup, featuring a 200MP main sensor. The front camera now also boasts a wide 100-degree field of view, letting users expand the frame when taking group selfies.

On the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, Apple is expected to use a single camera, and most rumors suggest the iPhone Fold will have a pair of wide and ultra-wide lenses to allow for superior portraits and macro mode with limited zoom capabilities. So, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will likely beat the iPhone here, but Apple is sure to put major emphasis on the iPhone Fold’s photographic capabilities.

When it comes to the front camera, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has two, one on the outside display and another on the inside for use when opened, with two single-hole cutouts for the cameras. Apple is rumored to be taking a similar path as it shifts away from the Dynamic Island and moves Face ID elements under the display.

It’s not clear what that means for Face ID, which would give Apple an edge here. But with two screens, Apple is likely to ditch Face ID on the iPhone Fold for Touch ID inside the power button like the iPad mini and Air. 

The stakes are high

Apple enthusiasts have generally grown accustomed to receiving innovative hardware later than everyone else. When said upgrades eventually arrive, however, they expect them to work flawlessly. The company is obviously aware of this unspoken formula, so it’s safe to assume the first iPhone Fold won’t be as half-baked as Samsung’s previous folding phones. Whether it’ll be a worthy Galaxy Z Fold 7 competitor is a different story, though.

Sure, Apple has spent years developing and refining the iPhone Fold’s potential imperfections. But Samsung has been collecting analytics and feedback from millions of users for a while now—the kind of data Apple can’t necessarily replicate with limited lab tests. I’m not worried about the iPhone Fold’s durability or potential defects. There’s also the issue of price. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage, $800 more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and twice that of a MacBook Air. Will the iPhone Fold cost $2,500 or more?

But I’m most concerned about the iPhone Fold’s unique features, specs, battery life, and the day-to-day usage experience. Will the wait be worth it? We’re going to find out soon.