With the Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold on the way, Apple’s rumored iPhone Fold needs to hit shelves soon
I still can’t believe the Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold is real. Samsung’s next-generation foldable phone promises a whole new way to use our phones, one that can go from the convenience of a small vertical screen to the large canvas of a tablet screen in just seconds.
And even though Huawei was the first to make such a device with its China-exclusive Mate Three for three. Not bad.
In fact, we’ve already seen rumors of a competing model from Xiaomi following the announcement of the Galaxy Z Trifold, which likely won’t come to the US but could serve as a competitor in the UK and Europe (via Android Central).
Where is the iPhone Fold?
Tech fans reading this will already know the answer. Despite years of rumors, Apple has yet to produce a foldable iPhone, much less a triple with an interior screen the size of an iPad.
The reason I bring up the Galaxy Trifold is to highlight the fact that things are now starting to change. As I’ve said before, Apple isn’t rushing, but there’s a difference between taking your time and ignoring a trend for so long that you completely miss the boat.
That’s not to say that today’s foldable phones are going anywhere, but they are now an integral part of the phone market and a reasonably developed technology, not the kind of shiny new thing that Apple became known for pioneering back in the days of the original iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Apple’s first foldable is rumored to feature an interior screen of around 7.7 inches and a smaller cover screen of around 5.5 inches. These screens are smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Additionally, the iPhone Fold is rumored to be 4.6mm thick when unfolded, which isn’t exactly impressive, but is still dwarfed by the 4.2mm Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Without any cutting-edge design specs on a design-focused handset, and with the specter of tri-fold phones looming, I fear the iPhone Fold will lack staying power in an increasingly saturated and competitive market.
Follow the competition
And while some will argue that Apple will have a huge impact regardless of the product, I think that’s just necessarily true in the short term.
For example, the Vision Pro headset has had virtually no resonance in the tech zeitgeist since its launch, which I attribute to Apple waiting too long to release it. The Vision Pro arrived at a time of reasonable maturity for the VR space and, as such, couldn’t claim pioneering status or land with a “wow” factor, a problem exacerbated by its high price. I worry that the iPhone Fold could tell a similar story if Apple waits too long, especially since foldable phones are often incredibly expensive.
And, more recently, the iPhone Air apparently sold poorly and fell out of the headlines a few months after its launch. Just because a new iPhone hits shelves doesn’t mean it will stick in people’s minds as Apple’s mobile rival forges ahead with headline-grabbing three-pronged hardware.
I think the best thing Apple can do now is put the pedal to the metal and aim for a 2026 launch for the rumored iPhone Fold. I don’t want to see another Vision Pro situation for a device with the potential to be one of the best iPhones ever. While we may not know exactly when the Galaxy Z Trifold will arrive in the US, hopefully Cupertino can hear the countdown.
That said, I’m sure there is a contingent of iPhone diehards who have looked at the best foldable phones from afar, but just aren’t willing to give up on iOS. For these people, it doesn’t really matter when Apple releases the iPhone Fold, as long as it eventually does.
But even as an Apple fan, I personally want to see Apple stay abreast of the competition, because when it strives to keep up with the industry as a whole, brilliant things happen. Here at the TechRadar office, we’re still not done with this year’s base model iPhone 17, with its 120Hz ProMotion display, dual 48MP cameras, and enlarged battery; It’s the best value base iPhone model in years, and much of that can be attributed to finally hitting the hardware standards set by Samsung and Google.
It is therefore in this spirit that I hope that Apple adopts the same attitude with its first foldable phone. I’m not saying it has to exactly mimic the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or any other Android foldable phone, and in fact, I’m still a fan of the iPhone Fold’s mini iPad-style form factor. That said, if Apple goes for smaller screens, timing will really matter to the success of the iPhone Fold; I don’t think this is a factor Apple can ignore any longer.
