Apple's late arrival to the folding market puts huge pressure on the iPhone Ultra to finally level up the category — but is that even possible?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, a highly regarded folding smartphone, has garnered attention for its impressive features and competitive performance. However, Apple's imminent entry into the folding market with the highly anticipated iPhone Ultra has set a high bar for the category. As Apple lags behind its competitors, the challenge for the iPhone Ultra to outshine rivals like Samsung, Google, Huawei, Motorola, and Oppo becomes all the more pressing.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8, despite being an excellent device, falls short of perfection in terms of thinness, battery life, and camera capabilities. Its unique passport shape, however, offers a distinctive appeal that sets it apart from other foldables. When opened, the Z Fold 8 boasts a screen size comparable to other foldables, albeit with a non-standard 4:3 aspect ratio.

Samsung aims to bridge the gap between the traditional clamshell design and the innovative Galaxy Z Flip, as well as the productivity-focused Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. The company's aggressive expansion into the foldable market, fueled by limited sales, hopes to broaden the foldable smartphone landscape. While Samsung's Z Fold 8 line, with an estimated 4-to-5 million units sold, pales in comparison to Apple's iPhone sales, it remains a noteworthy contender.

The iPhone Ultra is expected to introduce similar design elements to the Z Fold 8, with a foldable screen, aluminum/titanium construction, and potentially the use of liquid metal to further minimize the crease. Despite these similarities, Apple may differentiate itself through performance enhancements, such as the A20 chip and 12GB of RAM.

Market analysts suggest that Apple's brand recognition could attract millions of potential foldable users, bolstering the growth of the foldable phone market.