MANILA, Philippines – In Western Europe, Samsung’s Fold7 broke the gross sales file for the sequence, promoting 250,000 models in its first 4 weeks of availability, which is about 2.5 instances greater than its predecessor, the Fold6.
In July, I wrote that there really was quite a bit using on the Fold7 so far as the way forward for foldables had been involved — a class thought of to be the reducing fringe of telephone know-how, and in its inception, thought of to be the “way forward for telephones.” Throughout that point, regardless of developments in type from the likes of HONOR and Huawei, gross sales for the worldwide market share chief Samsung had been a bit of flat.
Now with the Fold7, earlier than it got here out, I wrote that the gross sales expectations for this one ought to be the sequence’ best-selling ever. As a result of, lastly Samsung listened to what technophiles had been asking for: make it skinny, make it really feel like an everyday telephone when in telephone mode (and never tall and skinny like all the opposite older Fold telephones).
Again once I reviewed the Honor Magic V2 greater than a yr in the past, I wrote that the most effective factor about it was that it felt like an everyday telephone when in telephone mode, and eventually you can even say that in regards to the Fold.
Folks had been additionally complaining that the Fold’s cameras had been fairly meh in comparison with the common flagships like iPhones or Samsung’s personal S-series. The grievance was that, “Why am I getting weaker cameras once I’m paying extra money for a foldable?”
The Fold7 will get a 200MP principal digital camera improve, up from the 50MP of the 6. (It’s an ideal improve, as a result of it’s enjoyable to have a look at ultra-detailed photographs on the primary pill display.)
Common flagships nonetheless have a extra sturdy digital camera array, however at the very least now, with the Fold7, the 200MP digital camera makes the costly price ticket a bit of simpler to swallow for its target market.
The HONOR Magic V5 really has extra sturdy optical zoom cameras, however the trade-off there’s that there’s a large chunky array on the again, since periscope-style cameras require extra {hardware} house. The Fold7 sacrificed some added zoom capabilities for the sleeker look.
And one other factor: foldables have slowly confirmed that they’re powerful sufficient, and received’t break after a couple of hundreds fold-and-unfold cycles. This was among the many largest drawback in its nascent years.
Who knew gross sales will get a lift when an organization listens to what the followers need? (And better of all, for the model, their foldable competitor Honor with its skinny Magic V telephones can’t tease them anymore in regards to the thickness of their Folds.)
By the way in which, other than the thinness, the Fold7 takes some inspiration from HONOR’s Magic V2 with a back-only telephone case that encompasses a kickstand — a favourite characteristic of mine from the V2 as effectively. (HONOR’s case got here free with the V2 although, whereas the Fold7’s is a separate buy.)
Samsung isn’t the one one giving the foldable market a lift although, as Huawei’s foldable telephones, together with one with a triple-folding display, turned the market share chief within the first half of 2025, previous to the Fold7’s July 2025 launch.
The street to mass market
Counterpoint Analysis famous how “After years of iterative upgrades, the Galaxy Z Fold7 is a significant step ahead, and Samsung has lastly closed the hole on the competitors… the model appears to have lastly introduced foldable smartphones to the mass market.”
Maybe in Europe that assertion is legitimate, however in much less rich nations, the subsequent massive “innovation” that individuals are ready for are decrease costs. A book-style phone-to-tablet foldable mannequin within the P70,000 or P75,000 vary (wishful pondering at this level?) is what would possibly spur actual wider adoption amongst gadget lovers.
That is very true within the Philippines the place practicality takes priority. Regardless of all of the improvements of those foldables, in my time with the unit (I’ve been utilizing it for two months), I nonetheless virtually use it as an everyday telephone perhaps 80% of the time — typically with a number of days passing by with out me unfolding it. (That’s at the very least good for additional longevity, proper?)
It’s nice to observe a present on it whenever you’re at a restaurant or exterior the home, and so they at all times tout the productiveness advantages of a much bigger display, and it’s so good to have a look at photographs on the large display, however on the finish of the day, I used it as I’d use an everyday telephone.
If cash is not any object, I’d advocate this over shopping for a top-of-the-line iPhone or Samsung S in a heartbeat — which isn’t one thing I’d have mentioned for the Fold6, due to its thickness and one-tier-below-top digital camera array.
However once more, for many of us, the additional display actual property — cool as it’s — isn’t as important as merely having a smartphone again once they had been launched. There’s a motive why foldables solely make 1% to 1.5% of the general quantity of telephones shipped.
After all, as Canalys analysis identified, quantity isn’t but that vital to foldable telephones as manufacturers acquire “model differentiation,” “engineering credibility,” and reputational “positioning within the ultra-premium tier.”
For instance, Canalys says, “One Galaxy Z Fold7 bought at record worth (round $1,899) generates the equal income of roughly 15 entry-level Galaxy A06 4Gs.”
Given all these, how will we get to friendlier client pricing? Already, HONOR and OPPO have barely cheaper fashions, though on the premium vary, individuals are inclined to belief the extra established Samsung… and doubtless Apple, when the rumors of a foldable iPhone subsequent yr doubtlessly come true.
Samsung took a bit of the market away from Apple with their new foldables, so a foldable iPhone may not be that far-off sooner or later. That competitors can solely be good for the patron, particularly the place worth is worried.
Previous to the Fold7’s launch, there have been, say, rumblings of the class’s demise…except Apple comes out with their very own mannequin. The script’s a bit of reversed now: The Fold7, listening to client characteristic calls for, sells effectively, and there’s renewed strain on Apple to get with this system. Apple dangers dropping repute factors the longer it waits to hitch the foldable sport, particularly with the class’s momentum this yr.
CNBC has a pleasant video breaking down the present market:
Bloomberg’s specialist Apple reporter Mark Gurman expects the foldable iPhone to return within the firm’s 2026 annual fall occasion, and says it will likely be skinny like two iPhone Airs side-by-side. With an Apple foldable on the horizon, it’ll even be thrilling to see how Samsung will react.
The foldable iPhone remains to be a hypothetical, so actually, it would nonetheless be a couple of years earlier than we get a sensibly-priced (learn: not priced at P100,000 or extra) book-style foldable. All we all know for now at the very least is that the class is right here to remain. – Rappler.com
Disclosure: Samsung lent a overview unit for testing.
