Apple’s Foldable Ambitions Meet a Market Samsung and Google Already Shaped

Foldable phone competition is entering its decisive phase

Foldable phone competition describes the race among major smartphone makers to define the design, price, and software experiences that will turn foldable devices from expensive experiments into mainstream tools for multitasking, media, and productivity across different screen shapes and sizes. That race is no longer theoretical: Samsung has shipped multiple generations, Google has iterated on its “passport” concept, and an Apple foldable phone is expected later this year. With new foldable phones on the horizon from the three major players in North America, observers who care about the foldable smartphone market argue that the space is finally on the right trajectory and “continue to grow and evolve, by any means necessary”. Apple will not enter a vacuum; it will walk into a category that Samsung and Google have already bent to their will.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: redesigning ahead of Apple’s move

Samsung’s smartest move this cycle is not another spec bump; it is the decision to redesign the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 around the form factor Apple is rumored to favor. The standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 abandons the tall, narrow book-style silhouette and adopts a shorter, passport-style format that unfolds into a 4:3 aspect ratio tablet. The inner 7.6‑inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate is tuned for side‑by‑side multitasking and media without the awkward letterboxing older models suffered. At 201g, it is the lightest book‑like foldable phone on the market and starts at USD 1,899.99 (approx. RM8,840) with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. By launching this design first, Samsung blunts the impact of any Apple foldable phone that might otherwise look fresh and unmatched at launch.

Strategically, Samsung is also hedging its bets with a two‑pronged book‑style lineup. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra keeps the traditional tall layout while slimming down to 4.1mm unfolded and adds a 200MP main camera plus an 8.0‑inch inner screen, starting at USD 2,099.99 (approx. RM9,770). This split lets Samsung claim both the sleek passport design and the “Ultra” spec crown before Apple even names its device. One pointed observation from the launch cycle: if Apple uses the rumored “iPhone Ultra” name, its smaller, dual‑camera foldable could end up wearing the same label as Samsung’s larger, triple‑camera Z Fold 8 Ultra, an optics problem Apple may want to avoid. In other words, Samsung is already playing name‑game chess while Apple is still moving its opening pieces.

How Google’s passport vision boxed Apple and Samsung in

The irony of this generation is that the design Apple and Samsung are leaning toward was mocked when Google tried it first. The original Google Pixel Fold, with its short, wide “passport” style, thick bezels, and hinge that struggled to open flat, was criticized as dated. Yet over three years, Google refined that idea, stretching the phone vertically and narrowing it so that two full‑size apps could sit comfortably side by side. One early adopter who started with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 admitted that they did not understand Google’s choice until the later Pixel 9 Pro Fold clarified the goal: pick a screen shape that favors two‑app multitasking instead of encouraging four or five tiny windows that are awkward to resize without a stylus.

Now rumors suggest that both an Apple foldable phone and Samsung’s redesigned Fold are following Google’s footsteps into this passport‑style aspect ratio. That is a quiet but important power shift. Google used its control over Android to push better foldable APIs and tools when developer support was weak, then doubled down on an unconventional design while Samsung kept its tall, thin recipe. With the Galaxy Z Fold 8 mirroring dimensions said to be planned for Apple’s tentatively named iPhone Ultra foldable, Google’s influence is baked into hardware from rivals that once defined the category. “It still feels odd to see Apple and Samsung follow Google’s footsteps when it comes to mobile device design,” one commentator notes, but that is exactly what seems to be happening.

Apple’s late arrival could legitimize what power users already know

Rumors say Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable phone later this year, likely with a compact passport‑style body that opens into a 4:3 tablet similar in feel to an iPad Mini. Even the name is part of the competitive theater: many expect “iPhone Ultra,” but Apple may instead choose “iPhone Fold” to avoid awkward comparisons with Samsung’s larger Z Fold 8 Ultra and to keep space for a future, more premium model. Naming games aside, Apple’s entrance matters less for specs and more for perception. For early adopters who value multitasking and run two apps at once on their foldable phones, this category is already useful and exciting. What they want now is scale and polish, not proof of concept.

Apple’s history suggests it will focus on smoothing rough edges that kept foldables feeling experimental: consistent app behavior, simple multitasking that does not repeat the missteps seen on its tablets, and tight hardware‑software integration. One analyst of this space points out that Apple “doesn’t have the greatest track record when it comes to multitasking,” especially on tablets, so adopting a simpler two‑pane‑friendly passport layout could be a pre‑emptive way to keep its first foldable experience manageable. If that happens, the foldable smartphone market will no longer be a playground for spec obsessives. It will be a front‑line product category where mainstream buyers compare Apple’s approach against the years of iteration Samsung and Google already invested.

Three-way rivalry: why buyers should welcome the pressure

With Samsung’s trio of new foldable phones now announced, Google refining its own designs, and an Apple foldable phone looming, the foldable smartphone market is heading toward its first true three‑way rivalry. By launching the Z Fold 8 before Apple’s reveal, Samsung dodges the risk of watching Apple debut a compelling foldable with no comparable option in its own range. At the same time, commentators expect Apple and Samsung to “duke it out this Fall,” while Google’s next foldable phone could benefit from renewed attention and be taken more seriously as the quiet trendsetter. This is no longer a one‑brand show; it is an ecosystem of competing ideas about what a foldable should be.

For buyers, this competition is good news on almost every front. More players mean faster iteration on hinges, displays, and software, and stronger incentives to fix real‑world pain points like window management and app scaling. It also means pricing pressure: Samsung’s spread from the USD 1,199 (approx. RM5,580) Galaxy Z Flip 8 to the higher‑end Fold 8 Ultra leaves room for Apple and Google to position their devices strategically. Early adopters who started with devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and stuck around are clear about their priorities: they care less about who “wins” the marketing war and more about seeing the space grow and evolve. The healthiest outcome of this foldable phone competition is not one brand dominating—it is three giants forced to keep earning users’ attention.