Samsung won't Fold over easily to Apple

Samsung has launched a promotional campaign to promote its foldable phones, emphasizing their hardware superiority and early market advantage against Apple. Apple unveiled the US$1,999 Duo, a foldable iPhone, on Wednesday as it seeks to disrupt the segment long dominated by Samsung and Chinese companies like Huawei, whose devices have struggled to gain widespread adoption.

Apple's use of Samsung Electronics' passport-shaped design, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, priced at US$1,899, and integration of Google's Gemini AI was particularly noteworthy.

Apple's pricing strategy, keeping the iPhone Duo just under the US$2,000 threshold at US$1,999, and just about US$100 above the Galaxy Z Fold 8, could significantly impact the competitive landscape, according to Counterpoint associate director Liz Lee. Samsung, with its scale, years of experience, and strong global distribution, is expected to face substantial share pressure from Apple's entry. Counterpoint analysts predict Apple could capture 25% of the market this year, compared to Samsung's 38%.

To highlight Samsung's foldable phones' thin and lightweight design, the company put up billboards in major cities, including Seoul, Tokyo, and London, with slogans such as "Welcome to Foldables" and "The World's Lightest Fold." Samsung also shared sarcastic messages on X, mocking Apple for what it perceived as a lack of meaningful innovation, with taunts like "reheating our leftovers" and "So far, so same."

Apple's CEO, John Ternus, criticized existing foldables as being "like two phones awkwardly stuck together." Samsung launched the first mass-market foldable phones in 2019 but faced setbacks due to display issues. Since then, the company has released eight generations of foldable phones, competing with Chinese rivals like Huawei in a market increasingly dominated by these devices.

Apple leverages Samsung's established supply chain for foldable components, including screens produced by Samsung Display. Analysts believe Apple's market entry, timed with a mature product, could reshape the foldable phone industry.