#foldable-smartphones

#foldable-smartphones

Despite all of the excitement about better-than-expected iPhone 17 sales, Apple Inc. ( NASDAQ: AAPL) still cannot get the foldable smartphone product right. The project is important because archrival Samsung already has its Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7. These are state-of-the-art smartphones, and Samsung has had a lead for almost a year. Rumors hint that Apple will launch a foldable phone with the iPhone 18 late next year.

Then I opened the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Yes, its name is too long. Yes, it costs $700 more than my iPhone. Yes, it's still heavier than I want it to be. And yet, I hate to admit it . . . the Fold justifies every analyst who has cried that Apple's hesitance to adopt flexible screen technologies is starting to make it look dated.

Samsung has kicked off its teaser campaign for the Samsung W26 - the special version of its Z Fold7 for the Chinese market. The device is set to launch on October 11, and we now have our first teaser for the device. While we don't get an actual look at the device, we do get confirmation that the foldable will be offered in the traditional red and black colors, which have been staples for previous Samsung W-series devices over the years.

hands on Folding smartphones have been with us for six years without winning much market share, but after two weeks using Samsung's latest model, and recent reports of surging sales in the category, it feels to me like dual-screened devices are something developers now need to consider. For those who came in late, Samsung set one standard for foldables with 2019's Galaxy Fold, a device that looks like a conventional smartphone but which opens like a book to reveal the double-width display inside.

After six years on the market, foldable smartphones reportedly account for only 1.5% of smartphones sold. At least in part, that's because they've had a whole flock of albatrosses around their neck. Figuring out how to design ones that are inviting to use when they're folded up-and twice as thick as when unfolded-has been a challenge. They've often been outfitted with less-than-stellar cameras and other sub-flagship components.

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold presents itself as Google's most resilient foldable phone to date. The smartphone's body is built from aerospace-grade aluminum and is available in Moonstone and Jade finishes, a material palette that emphasizes strength as well as refinement. The redesigned hinge operates without gears, doubling the durability of the previous generation while also earning the phone an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance - rare for foldable devices.

"Chinese consumers have matured significantly, with many now on their fifth or sixth smartphone. This experience has led them to actively seek unique and advanced devices."

The leading makers of foldables are in a race to slim down their devices, focusing not only on thickness but also on weight.