The Dullness of Foldables Could Benefit Apple Significantly

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How it started
Believe it or not, the journey of foldable phones didn’t kick off with Samsung. That honor goes to Royole, a now-defunct maker of flexible displays, which launched the “charmingly awful” FlexPai as the first commercial folding phone. Samsung followed a year later with its Galaxy Fold, which faced a slew of issues that caused review units to fail within days. The disastrous launch led Huawei to postpone its Mate X foldable by five months, and its unique design, featuring a screen that folds outward, didn’t resonate well with consumers. Motorola then entered the fray with its Razr foldable, soon followed by Samsung’s Z Flip; we rated them 4/10 and 6/10, respectively.

The initial two years for foldable phones were undeniably rocky, but the situation improved. Samsung’s later foldable models were far more resilient than the first generation, learning that crucial display components shouldn’t be as easily removable as a screen protector. More players joined the foldable market, with devices from Google, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, and others. Prices began to drop as well—while flagship book-style foldables have remained around the $2,000 mark for seven years, more affordable options emerged. Motorola’s entry-level Razr now retails for $799, and Samsung introduced a budget-friendly FE variant of its Z Flip 7 for $899 last year.

The hardware has also evolved significantly. Foldables are now thinner, lighter, and more durable; creases are less pronounced, and some displays even support stylus input. Camera technology has improved, bringing foldables closer to the quality of standard smartphones. Perhaps most notably, the design of these devices has started to diversify.

How it’s going
Until recently, foldable phones generally fell into two main categories: compact flip phones with square cover screens and larger book-style foldables that are slim when closed and nearly square when opened.

However, this landscape is gradually shifting. Huawei led the charge with innovative designs, starting with its Mate XT trifold, followed by the wider Pura X flip phone, and this year’s even wider Pura X Max. Samsung introduced its Galaxy Z TriFold late last year and recently updated its Galaxy Z Fold 8 to match the squat shape of the Pura X Max.

Durability has reached new heights, with Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold achieving an IP68 rating, while Honor’s Magic V6 boasts an IP69 rating. This phone is also the thinnest foldable available and features the largest battery, thanks to advanced silicon-carbon battery technology that allows for smaller, more powerful batteries. The latest foldables are barely thicker than flagship smartphones when closed and almost as slim as a USB-C port when open, with batteries that can last a day or two on a single charge.

Oppo’s Find N6 is nearly as thin and long-lasting as the Honor device, but it has an additional advantage: an almost invisible crease. While the fold point is still detectable, it’s challenging to spot unless you’re specifically looking for it, and lighting conditions can make it even harder to find.

When it comes to cameras, foldables still have some catching up to do, but they’re not far behind. Recent models from Oppo and Vivo feature triple rear cameras that deliver impressive quality, comparable to some flagship devices. However, they still lag behind the top-tier Ultra models and come at a higher price point. It’s likely that the best camera technology will remain exclusive to traditional smartphones for the foreseeable future, leaving foldables a step behind.

Despite these advancements, foldable phones continue to occupy a niche market, accounting for just 1.6 percent of the smartphone market in 2025, according to recent data.

What happens next
The technology behind foldable phones has matured enough for even Apple to take notice: the first foldable iPhone is expected to debut next month alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models. This launch is anticipated to be a pivotal moment for the foldable market, with analysts predicting that Apple could capture 34 percent of the foldable market by value in its first year.

The big question is whether Apple can attract customers who have been hesitant about foldables or if they’ll simply wait for a foldable that runs iOS. This could be the moment that propels foldables from a niche product to mainstream acceptance, although if Apple prices the device at a premium, its reach may still be limited.

Even before its official release, the foldable iPhone has already influenced the market. Remember those wider foldable designs from Huawei and Samsung? It’s no coincidence they emerged just months before Apple’s foldable, which leaks suggest will also feature a similar wide design. More manufacturers are likely to follow suit, with rumors of wider foldables from both Oppo and Honor on the horizon. The next year will reveal whether this form factor resonates with users or if Android manufacturers will regret following Apple’s lead.

It’s uncertain whether more companies will venture into trifolds or if Huawei and Samsung will continue with that design. Huawei has expressed confidence in the sales success of its Mate XT models, suggesting it may stick with the design. Conversely, Samsung pulled its TriFold from the market after less than three months, leaving its reasons unclear—whether due to low sales or a limited production run. Other experimental designs like rollables may need a few more years before they hit the market.

This is a transformative time for foldable phones. The standard models have improved to the point of becoming somewhat mundane. Aside from new designs, annual releases have settled into a pattern of minor updates, with price being the main barrier for consumers. Foldables are now undeniably capable, and Apple’s entry could either broaden the market or confirm that most buyers simply aren’t interested in folding devices—at least not at current price points.

By the way
* If you doubt that rollable phones are on the horizon, remember that Lenovo has been selling a laptop with a rollable display for over a year now.
* In the early days, the flip form factor was more popular, but recent data shows that trend has reversed, and it’s expected to continue.
* When I say the Oppo Find N6’s crease is hard to see, I mean it—I struggled to capture it in photos. It utilizes 3D printing with a photosensitive liquid polymer that fills the hinge gaps, then hardens with UV light.

Read this
* While details about Apple’s first foldable remain scarce, reports suggest it will run a version of iOS tailored for an iPad-like interface, albeit without the full multitasking capabilities of iPadOS. On the Android side, Oppo’s ColorOS is currently the gold standard for foldable software, offering flexible split-screen options and floating app windows.
* A colleague has become a fan of working from a foldable device—what she calls her Purse Computer—and shared her journey to find the perfect setup.
* Foldable displays have seen significant improvements in recent years, but the foundational principles of current designs were established when Samsung introduced a flexible glass screen with the first Galaxy Z Flip.