Samsung just fired its best shot at the iPhone Fold

It is not a secret for anyone that Apple tends to experience private prototypes, while many of their rivals use their customers as a guinea pig. The iPhone manufacturer, for the most part, has historically refrained from getting out of “unfinished” products, while Samsung, Google and others prefer iterate in public with products that could use more time in the laboratory. Nowhere is clearer than with folding phones. Samsung is launching new foldable phones for half a decade with a variable success, while Apple has not yet announced its first folding iPhone.

The unpacked event of Samsung earlier this week, however, looked like any precedent. For the first time, it seems that the latest Galaxy Z Fold 7 is not an overly expensive beta product of design imperfections and other compromises. He apparently matured in a practical and multifunctional phone which is aimed at a wider range of users far beyond rabid adopters. This is excellent news for Samsung fans, but perhaps still better news for those who anticipate the iPhone fold, which would have launched next year.

Decrease

The most blatant problem with the first Galaxy Z Fold models may have been the display fold. Samsung’s first foldable screens would develop a visible line in the center after repeated folding. Not only would this remove the devices from their flagship sensation, but in some cases, it would affect conviviality and lead to premature repairs.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Samsung has managed to minimize the problem over the years thanks to design adjustments, and the latest Galaxy Z Fold 7 incorporates an even more durable hinge. Given this, it is realistic to assume that the iPhone fold will not suffer from major fold complications when it was launched in September 2026. Apple had enough time to develop a long -term solution, because the screen fold would have been its highest priority. When the iPhone fold will be launched next year, it must be completely impeccable just to match the Z Fold 7.

Fine

Another drawback of the foldable phone is design, namely thickness and weight. Manufacturers mainly have two smartphones together – while maintaining their sustainability, their high -end specifications, etc. Reducing them is not an easy task. Nevertheless, Samsung finally polished the design with its Galaxy Z Fold 7, suggesting that Apple takes a similar path.

The last foldable Samsung weighs only 215 g and has an 8.9 mm and 4.2 mm thick when it is folded and unfolded, respectively. For comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max weighs 227 g and has an 8.25 mm thick. Thus, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has essentially become a normal size smartphone when folded and an ultra-clip tablet in its unfolded form. It is no longer an overwhelming and coarse brick. It’s so thin, in fact, Samsung had to drop S-PEN’s support.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Since the air of the iPhone 17 of this year would be 5.5 mm of lighting (and the incredibly powerful pro M4 iPad is only 5.1 mm of lighting), it is likely that Apple has found a way to make the iPhone also folds thin. But how The thin is the question – and what Apple will have to sacrifice to get there.

Pro-formance

Another technological step is to feed the Galaxy Z Pl 7 with a flagship processor – the Snapdragon 8 elite for the galaxy. With such a thin body, overheating is obviously a concern, which Apple has already understood with its own silicon. As I mentioned above, look no further than the iPad Pro and the next air of the iPhone 17 to see how incredibly effective Apple fleas are.

If he launches next year, as the rumor says, we assume that the iPhone fold will offer the A20 Pro still to cancel to offer advanced iPados 26 -type features, such as the application window, when unpleasant. Folding phones have been established as premium devices, and Apple will probably follow the step by putting its most powerful mobile chip in its highest -end device.

Bright shot

Incorporating a pro camera system in a thin foldable is another obstacle that Samsung has overcome. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers an impressive triple rear lens configuration, with a main 200 MP sensor. The front camera now also has a wide field of vision at 100 degrees, allowing users to develop the frame when taking group selfies.

On the Ultra-Mance Iphone 17 air, Apple should use a single camera, and most rumors suggest that the iPhone fold will have a pair of wide and ultra-light objectives to allow higher portraits and a macro mode with limited zoom capabilities. Thus, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 Batra probably the iPhone here, but Apple is sure to focus on the photographic capabilities of the iPhone Fold.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Regarding the front camera, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has two, one on the outdoor screen and another inside for use when opening, with two cuts to a unique hole for cameras. According to rumors, Apple takes a similar path while it moves away from the dynamic island and moves the elements of the front identification under the screen.

It is not clear what it means for Face ID, which would give Apple an advantage here. But with two screens, Apple is likely to abandon the front ID on the iPhone fold for Touch ID inside the power button such as the iPad Mini and Air.

The issues are high

Apple lovers have generally used to receive innovative equipment later than everyone. However, when upgrades finally arrive, they expect them to work perfectly. The company is obviously aware of this tacit formula, so it is sure to assume that the first iPhone fold will not be as half cooked as the previous folding phones of Samsung. Whether it’s a worthy Galaxy Z Fold 7 Competitor is another story.

Of course, Apple has spent years developing and refining the potential imperfections of the iPhone. But Samsung has been collecting analyzes and comments from millions of users for some time now – the type of data that Apple cannot necessarily reproduce with limited laboratory tests. I am not worried about the sustainability of the iPhone fold or potential defects. There is also the question of price. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $ 1,999 with 256 GB of storage, $ 800 more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and twice that of a MacBook Air. Will iPhone fold cost $ 2,500 or more?

But I am most concerned about the features, the unique specifications of the iPhone Pold, the battery life and the daily use experience. Does the wait are worth it? We will discover it soon.