I still can't quite believe it Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold is real. Samsung's next-generation foldable phone promises a whole new way to use our phones, going from a convenient small vertical display to a large tablet screen in seconds.
And bye Huawei was the first to launch such a device with its China-exclusive Mate XT.Samsung's model will have a greater impact on the industry and mobile culture as it launches in the US. This means the Korean tech giant will forever be remembered as the man who popularized foldable phones, upgraded flip phones and triple phones. Three for three. Not bad.
In fact, we've already seen rumors of a rival model from Xiaomi following the announcement of the Galaxy Z Trifold, which likely won't come to the US but could compete in the UK and Europe (via Android Center).
Where is the iPhone Fold?
The tech fans reading this already know the answer. Despite years of rumors, Apple has yet to release a foldable iPhone, let alone a tri-fold one with an iPad-sized internal display.
The reason I'm talking about the Galaxy Trifold is to highlight the fact that things are now starting to move forward. As I've said before, Apple is taking its time, but there's a difference between taking your time and ignoring a trend for so long that you miss the boat entirely.
This doesn't mean the current foldable phones are going away, but they are now an established part of the phone market and a fairly mature technology, rather than the shiny new thing that Apple became known for with its pioneering inventions back in the days of the first iPhones, iPads and Apple Watch.
Apple's first foldable model is rumored to have an internal display measuring around 7.7 inches and a small top screen measuring around 5.5 inches.. These screens are smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Google Pixel 10 Pro Foldable.
Additionally, the iPhone Fold is rumored to be 4.6mm thick when unfolded, which isn't exactly impressive, but still dwarfs the Galaxy Z Fold 7's 4.2mm thickness.
Without any class-leading design features from a design-focused phone, and with the specter of tri-fold phones looming large, I worry that the iPhone Fold may lack staying power in an increasingly saturated and competitive market.
Keeping up with the competition
And while some might say that Apple will have a huge impact no matter what the product is, I think it's just Necessarily true in the short term.
For example, Vision Pro Since its launch, the headset has had virtually no traction with the tech zeitgeist, which I put down to Apple waiting too long to release it. The Vision Pro arrived at a period of reasonable maturity in the virtual reality space and, as such, couldn't lay claim to pioneer status or land with much “wow” factor, a problem compounded by its high price. I'm worried the same thing could happen with the iPhone Fold if Apple waits too long. especially since folding phones are often phenomenally expensive.
More recently, the iPhone Air apparently sold poorly and fell out of the headlines within months of its launch. Just because the new iPhone has hit the shelves doesn't mean it will stick in people's minds as mobile rival Apple moves ahead with headline-grabbing tri-fold hardware.
I think the best thing Apple can do now is step on the pedal and aim for the rumored 2026 launch of the iPhone Fold. I don't want to see another Vision Pro situation for a device that has the potential to be one of best iPhones of all times. While we may not know exactly when the Galaxy Z Trifold will arrive in the US, I hope Cupertino hears the clock ticking.
With that being said, I'm sure there is a group of iPhone fans who are following best folding phones from afar, but just don't want to give up on iOS – for these people, it doesn't really matter when Apple releases the iPhone Fold, as long as it happens eventually.
But even as an Apple fan, I personally really want Apple to keep up with the competition, because when it makes an effort to keep up with the industry as a whole, brilliant things happen. Here at the TechRadar office, we're not done with this year's base model yet. iPhone 17with a 120 Hz ProMotion display, two 48 MP cameras and a larger battery; It's the best base iPhone model in years, and much of that can be attributed to finally reaching the hardware standards set by Samsung and Google.
With that in mind, I want Apple to take the same approach with its first foldable phone. I'm not saying it should exactly imitate the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or any other foldable Android phone, and in fact I'm still a fan of rumors of an iPad mini-style iPhone Fold form factor.. With all that said, if Apple is going to use smaller screen sizes, then timing will really matter to the iPhone Fold's success; I don't think Apple can ignore this factor for long.
