There was a bit of an undertone at Samsung’s latest Open. What feels like a bit of dread, not progress or triumph. After seven years, the foldable market is about to enter uncharted territory, and frankly, I’m not sure if Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 series can hold its own.
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Samsung and Apple have been battling it out for decades, hailing places as the world’s best-selling smartphone brands. But in the foldable space, Samsung has been the undisputed leader for the better part of a decade, and now Apple is finally ready to jump in. The first foldable iPhone is coming and you can feel the tension in the air.
The Fold 8 series is not subtle in recognizing the first foldable iPhone. between a new form factor and “Ultra” brandingSamsung has not held back in its attempt to beat Apple with a marketing coup.
And that’s fair.
“Does Apple do that?” is one of the most common responses to a first-time collapsible person, that’s why a lot focused on what the company has to offer, most of them have never considered an Android phone.
So I’m struggling a bit with Samsung’s playbook here. Samsung is the leader in the folding market, being the first company to implement this technology. Now we’re back to our usual, “So what’s Apple doing?”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Samsung is branching out. The Galaxy Z Fold 8‘s new form is delicious and so refreshing in a stagnant market, but here’s the problem. It’s ridiculous how many fold after only a few generations already began to stagnate. We’ll certainly never get the basic triplets, but maybe we could try a few other ideas.
The other thing about Samsung’s move here is that it feels like the company wanted to get the position right from the start. By naming the existing form factor “Ultra” and introducing this new form factor as the standard offering, it rewrites history by suggesting that a longer screen is “just right”. I haven’t decided which one is really best yet, but it could go either way if I’m being honest.
Consider these the ravings of a foldable fan who is somewhat optimistic but still cautious about its future. Apple’s entry will certainly lend a lot of credibility to the form factor, but it’s pretty crazy that with so much to begin with, it looks like every Android brand just waiting for Apple to come up with something new to copy. This is true when you’ve already seen companies like OPPO and Google try and abandon the same design.
Our Galaxy Z Fold 8 review continues. Stay tuned for more and if you want to buy pre-orders are open.
This Week’s Top Stories
The rest of Samsung is packed
Aside from just the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s new form factor, other announcements this week include the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Flip 8, Watch 9, and Watch Ultra 2. These devices get Samsung’s Android 17 stable release, feature updated technology including silicon-carbon batteries, and more.
Android XR glasses
Android XR also got a bit of a spotlight this week with a closer look at Samsung and Google’s first glasses. Warby Parker and Gentle Monster styles, feature details and a privacy light have also been confirmed and shown.
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