Apple, Samsung, and Google are all expected to introduce their takes on folding smartphones in the coming weeks.
All three competitors work together on some things; Samsung allegedly makes displays for iPhone; Google makes an OS for Samsung; and Apple works with Google Gemini for AI. That proximity suggests that we might experience some synchronicity between these devices when they finally arrive.
Samsung and Google move first — but September belongs to Apple
Bloomberg agrees: the publication claims Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22 will feature the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which will have a short, wide design “that resembles Apple Inc.’s planned folding iPhone.”
It is expected to cost around $1,999 for the 256GB model. The late July introduction is widely seen as an attempt to steal a little thunder from the upcoming launch of the iPhone Fold/Ultra, Apple’s first foldable device.
Google is also chasing the looming Apple thundercloud with its own “Made by Google” event in New York on Aug. 12. This is expected to be a Pixel family update, likely including a successor to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Leaks suggest these devices will have more RAM (for AI), more storage — with a 256GB minimum — and be priced at an estimated $1,999 – or maybe even more.
Both of these devices will be great. Both will likely be compelling; but what we don’t know yet is how the decade or so Apple has spent designing and developing its own folding smartphones will crystallize into the final result.
A decade in development, but will it blend?
Apple has its reputation on the line – will its phone stand out for its combination of high-tech and high design, or will the company fail in its bid to stand apart? We’ll find out in September when Apple’s folding smartphone finally appears, and the oxygen once again starts circulating around this part of the room.
We do know that the iPhone Ultra has entered mass production, with MacRumors seemingly rebutting recent claims by Ming-Chi Kuo that the device might ship later than expected and be in short supply once it appears. Citing Chinese supply chain sources, the report says manufacturing has begun. Other reports indicate Apple has increased initial manufacturing orders to 10 million units. Somewhere in between the truth lies.
The iPhone Ultra is expected to be a book-style foldable with a 7.8-in. inner display and a 5.5-in. cover display, Touch ID, an Apple C2 modem and an A20 processor. It will run iOS 27, which has already been found to be capable of changing display layout and resolution to seamlessly switch between different views; moving from the outer to the inner display should seem almost instantaneous, with smooth transitions between both states.
The hinges need to do the talking
Apple has paid particular attention to the hinge design, which is thought to be near invisible to the eye and extremely robust. (It needs to be robust; the hinge will inevitably be put to some very tough tests by hungry vlogging tech influencers everywhere.)
Those same influencers will also be putting Siri AI to the test, with most potential customers very curious about the extent to which Apple Intelligence can turn the folding iPhone into a viable replacement for Macs or iPads. What happens when you use an iPhone Ultra with an external mouse and keyboard, for example? Will competing devices match the user experience for productive tasks?
At $2,000 a pop, a lot of potential customers for any of these foldable devices will be looking for a solution that ticks more boxes than simply being a giant smartphone. They will certainly want the luxury finish we can expect in all three devices, but they will also be hoping for a tool fit for a range of use cases smartphones don’t generally meet.
Samsung’s existing Fold range, for example, is celebrated for its advanced multitasking features and media content and consumption features, even as its ability to connect to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse (Samsung DeX) makes it a convenient PC replacement.
Resetting the high-end smartphone price point
You can expect much the same from all three devices: a focus on display resolution, color gamut, brightness and screen refresh rates. But for all three, the really critical point will be the resilience of the hinge. Because once the novelty of the fold fades, the winner will be the one that succeeds in becoming something more useful than the smartphone we already know.
In the end, these things must deliver more, not less, if they are to persuade consumers to reset their price-driven comfort zones. All of the manufacturers have a vested interest in driving shoppers to spend even more money on their devices.
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