Does Samsung’s Innovation Challenge Apple To ‘Fold’?

Since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, the design of almost all smartphones was in what some have called a “candy bar” shape. The screen sizes have become larger and the performance inside of these smartphones has become more powerful, but the form factor has stayed pretty much the same.

In 2018, I attended the Society of Information Displays’ event in Los Angeles and saw what was a breakthrough technology in screen displays. BOE, a Chinese producer of LED screens, showed a prototype of a folding LED display. I wrote about this in my PC Mag column at the time and stated that these folding screens could give smartphone makers a way to break away from the candy bar form factor and deliver more innovative and flexible designs if they implemented them in future smartphones. 

In 2019 Samsung introduced the first model of their Galaxy Z Fold smartphone and it garnered great interest from the media as well as some high-end customers. I was at the launch event for this foldable phone and got to test it briefly after the launch at the media showcase. It was an excellent first pass at this concept, but still had some issues with the fold or crease being too visible and some other design flaws that kept it from gaining any serious market demand.

However, the newest model, the Galaxy Z Fold3, has smoothed those rough edges of the early models, and it is one of the most creative new designs we have in the smartphone market today. I have been testing one for a while and consider it one of the best Android smartphones on the market. Its ability to go between a candy bar design to a mini-tablet makes it the most versatile smartphone available.

I have had the privilege of following Samsung for decades. In fact, when they were planning to enter the US PC market in the early 1990s, I worked with their U.S. division for five years. I did the research for them on the U.S. PC market and advised them on channel strategy. During that time I was also involved with their design teams. This helped me get to know Samsung well and understand this South Korean company that I consider one of the smartest technology companies in the world.

The genius of the Galaxy Z Fold3 design epitomizes the technical visionaries that drive Samsung’s mobile strategy. While this group has had its ups and downs, it has now become one of the most powerful smartphone companies in the world. Their other folding smartphone, the Galaxy Flip3, also utilizes a folding screen but folds out to the candy bar design. When folded it makes it easier to fit in a pocket or handbag. 

From a positioning standpoint, the Galaxy Flip3 has more of a consumer audience focus while the Galaxy Z Fold3, which starts at $1799, is aimed at the premium market and business users. I have also seen serious interest for its use in some IT programs where a larger screen phone is needed in areas like field service, insurance adjusters, and anywhere where a large amount of data and schematics may need to be seen on larger mobile device screens.

Both are exceptional examples of utilizing folding screens and put Samsung in an enviable leadership position with these designs. Samsung’s leadership in folding phones, as well as exceptional mainstream smartphones, makes them a serious competitor to Apple and you can bet Apple sees them in that light.  

Given that Samsung has blazed a new smartphone design trail, I have been asked often if Apple should bring out a folding smartphone in the future. 

Until I used the Galaxy Z Fold3, I had mixed feelings about this issue. Apple has done exceptionally well with its current designs and the iPhone 13 Max Pro has a very large display that seems to meet the needs of all of their customers who want a bigger display. This type of folding form factor might make sense, especially for some of Apple’s corporate customers who might use it in vertical applications. 

However, while Apple dominates the premium smartphone market today, I believe that if Apple should enter the market with a folding phone, I would suggest it be with an eye on something like Samsung’s Galaxy Flip3. Apple has determined that there is a market for a smaller iPhone and released the iPhone 13 Mini to meet the needs of customers who value a smaller smartphone. Should Apple design a flip phone that has a smaller footprint when closed and a much larger screen, I suspect it could become a big seller for them.

The other case I would make about doing a larger folding screen iPhone lies in its potential use as a mini-tablet as well as a smartphone. That is perhaps the biggest surprise for me when using the Galaxy Z Fold3 that when opened, I have more of a tablet than a smartphone in my hand.

I have always been a fan of the iPad Mini and it is one of my go-to devices when traveling. It is great for reading books, watching movies, and even doing email and perusing apps I use often. But that means I carry two devices instead of one. 

Should Apple do a folding iPhone that delivers an iPad Mini-like experience, I believe they would have a hit on their hands.

To date, Apple does not appear to have any folding phones in the works for delivery anytime soon. I am sure they are exploring it given their competitive nature, but it is not clear that Apple even has a serious interest in creating any folding phones at the moment. 

That allows Samsung to grow its folding smartphone market without much competition, especially in the premium smartphone category. And Samsung needs to take advantage of that leadership role by continuing to innovate in folding phones and marketing their current ones to a broad international market, where interest in folding phones is growing.

When I saw the BOE folding prototypes in 2018, I stated that this technology could revolutionize smartphone designs and I still believe that to be true. Samsung has seen this vision and responded to it in a big way. Time will tell if Apple or other key smartphone players also realize that folding screens gives them a new technology palette to work with and innovate with foldable screens in their products in the future.