Why Are Tech Firms Betting on Foldable Phones?

TL;DR

Foldable phones give users a compact handset that opens into a larger screen for multitasking, content creation, entertainment, and AI tools. Manufacturers are investing because slimmer designs, stronger hinges, longer battery life, and falling prices are reducing earlier compromises, while Apple’s reported entry could attract more buyers and help move the category beyond its current niche.

Transcript

When Samsung released its latest folding phone, the Galaxy Z fold seven, in July, some said the era of the folding smartphone had arrived. If you were in the market for a foldable, this is a really, really good buy. You guys know I'm an Apple girl, but this phone is literally making me so excited to learn new things and go into a whole nother... Read More

Key Insights

• Foldable smartphones are intended to provide both a conventional phone experience and a larger display in one device. The expanded screen supports movies, work, creativity, and multitasking, reducing the need to carry a separate phone and tablet.
• Early foldable phones suffered from meaningful durability problems. Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold had a less durable screen, while its hinge design could allow dust and debris beneath the display, illustrating the engineering tradeoffs that accompanied the new form factor.
• Recent foldable designs are thinner, lighter, and less compromised than earlier generations. Samsung says its latest Fold approaches the thickness of a standard flagship phone, while its Flip now offers battery life comparable to the company’s other flagship devices.
• High prices remain a central barrier to mainstream adoption. Many foldable models occupy the expensive end of the smartphone market, creating a limited customer base, although Samsung says more accessible Flip models demonstrate that prices are beginning to decline as the technology matures.
• Apple’s reported foldable strategy reflects its practice of watching technologies mature before entering a category. The proposed device could use a book-style design, an inner display, and a reinforced hinge intended to improve durability and usability, but its release remains unconfirmed.
• Artificial intelligence and foldable screens complement each other by pairing AI assistance with additional display space. Samsung describes large-screen features that let users search selected content while continuing to view the original material and engaging with results beside it.
• Foldable adoption varies significantly by market. The devices are more common in China and South Korea than in the United States, while Samsung and Huawei have led the global category during recent years despite foldables remaining a niche within smartphones.
• Mainstream adoption depends on reducing both functional compromises and the price premium over conventional phones. Industry participants believe consumers may accept a modest premium for a device that transforms from a premium phone into a tablet-like experience, provided durability and usability are dependable.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why are smartphone companies investing in foldable phones?

Smartphone companies see foldables as a meaningful reason for consumers to replace conventional phones when ordinary upgrades offer limited motivation. A folding device combines a pocketable handset with a larger display for work, entertainment, creativity, and AI-assisted tasks. Improving durability, thinner construction, better battery life, and gradually lower prices also make the category more commercially promising than its earliest models were.

Q: Why have foldable phones remained a niche product?

Foldable phones remain niche because they generally carry high prices and have historically required compromises in thickness, durability, cameras, battery life, and expected longevity. Consumers may also perceive them as specialized luxury devices rather than practical replacements for conventional phones. Adoption has grown more strongly in China and South Korea, but the form factor is still uncommon across the broader global smartphone market.

Q: How have foldable phones improved since the first Galaxy Fold?

Newer foldables address several weaknesses associated with the first Galaxy Fold. Early devices had fragile screens and hinge designs that could let dust and debris reach the display. Current models are slimmer, use more refined hinges, offer better durability, and provide stronger battery performance. Samsung says its latest Fold is close to standard flagship thickness and its latest Flip matches flagship battery life.

Q: What could an Apple foldable phone look like?

The reported Apple device could be a book-style iPhone that opens to reveal a larger inner display. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says it may include a reinforced hinge intended to improve durability and usability. Apple has not confirmed the product and declined the request for comment, so the design, timing, and release remain reported possibilities rather than official company commitments.

Q: Why might Apple enter the foldable market now?

Apple may view foldable technology as mature enough for a more dependable user experience. Screens, hinges, thickness, battery performance, and expected device life have improved since early models introduced substantial compromises. The company is described as favoring careful observation over being first, then entering after major adoption barriers have diminished and focusing its differentiation on usability rather than novelty alone.

Q: How do foldable phones support AI features?

Foldables provide additional screen space that can make AI tools easier to use alongside existing content. Samsung describes a large-screen version of Circle to Search that keeps the selected material visible while presenting information beside it. The broader display can also support multitasking, productivity, creativity, and content creation by reducing the friction of switching repeatedly between tasks or views.

Q: What must change for foldable phones to become mainstream?

Foldables need lower prices, reliable durability, practical battery life, slimmer designs, and fewer compromises in cameras and everyday functionality. The price premium over a conventional phone must also become small enough that buyers see value in the larger unfolding display. If manufacturers deliver dependable phone and tablet-like experiences in one device, the category could appeal beyond its current luxury audience.

Q: Could Apple expand the foldable smartphone market?

Apple could expand the category if it delivers a foldable device that solves durability and usability concerns. Analysts expect the company could capture a substantial part of the market because of its position in premium smartphones. Its entry could also increase consumer awareness and competitive investment, although success would still depend on pricing, engineering quality, and whether buyers value one hybrid device over separate products.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Foldable smartphones evolved from early flip phones and conventional touchscreen devices into book-style and compact folding designs. Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold demonstrated the concept but suffered durability problems involving its screen, hinge, dust, and debris. Recent models have addressed many of those limitations through slimmer construction, improved batteries, and stronger engineering.

• The category remains a small part of global smartphone shipments because foldables generally cost more than conventional premium phones and still carry a reputation for compromise. Manufacturers are trying to expand adoption by lowering prices, improving expected usable life, matching flagship battery performance, and making folding devices feel comparable to standard phones when closed.

• Apple is reportedly preparing a book-style folding iPhone, although the company has not confirmed those plans. Analysts believe Apple may enter after watching the technology mature and could differentiate through usability. Samsung and Google, meanwhile, emphasize large-screen AI experiences, productivity, creativity, search, and the convenience of combining phone and tablet functions.