The tech columnist Joanna Stern, who is known for praising iPhones, refrained from expressing strong opinions on Samsung’s new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. Instead, CNN in the US praised the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as an advancement in Samsung’s premium foldable phone line with its larger screen, lighter design, various features, and AI capabilities.
Despite previously ignoring Samsung’s foldable phones, Apple has also entered the foldable phone development scene. According to reports, Apple is working on its first foldable iPhone with a target release year of 2026. Samsung, along with other companies like Huawei in China, has been releasing foldable phones one after another, while Apple has stuck to its traditional bar-shaped smartphones. However, with iPhone sales slowing down, Apple seems to have decided to try its hand at the foldable phone market for a new form factor opportunity.
Apple’s entry into the foldable market poses a significant threat to Samsung, but on the other hand, it could also be seen as a new opportunity in the growing market. SamMobile, a US IT media outlet, expressed that if Apple’s entry into the foldable market is delayed, consumers may increasingly turn to Samsung foldable phones, making it challenging for Apple to win over Samsung foldable phone users.
With the release of foldable phones, Samsung smartphones, which were often labeled as “old-fashioned phones,” are experiencing unexpected changes. In the pre-sale of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, the proportion of customers in their 20s and 30s surpassed 50% for the first time, indicating a significant shift from the image of Samsung phones as preferred by older customers in their 40s and 50s. Younger generations generally prefer iPhones over Samsung, as indicated by a recent survey on smartphone usage among Korean adults in 2024, where 64% of 18-29-year-olds use iPhones, with 75% of young women using iPhones.
Samsung Electronics recorded final pre-sale figures of 910,000 units for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 in South Korea between the 12th and 18th of the month. Although slightly lower than the previous model (1.02 million units), it is seen as positive due to the expanded share of purchases by customers in their 20s and 30s, surpassing 50% for the first time and increasing from 43% in the previous model.