Samsung has just one piece of advice for Apple’s first iPhone foldable

Ben Schoon | Sep 9 2026 - 6:10 am PT

Samsung has been pushing the foldable market ahead for several years now and, arguably, makes some of the best foldable devices out there. But Apple is about to make its long-awaited debut with the first iPhone foldable, and Samsung has some advice.

Speaking to Wired, Samsung’s Hee-Cheul Moon, head of the company’s Advanced Mechanical R&D group, and Seungki Choi, head of Smartphone R&D group, discussed Apple’s incoming debut on the market. Samsung’s sentiment towards an Apple foldable hasn’t changed since last year – it’s “absolutely welcome” as Apple will bring some much-needed attention and legitimacy to the foldable space.

Moon says:

Seeing these other brands entering the market, we feel very proud of ourselves that the value that we pioneered with this new category of foldables is being acknowledged and recognized.

Weight is a key aspect that Samsung is focused on, though, with Moon saying that the key “to providing the highest customer value in this market is all about the weight of the device.” Samsung has cut a huge amount of weight out of its foldables since the first generation, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 weighing in at just 201g, less than even most slab smartphone flagships. Galaxy S26 Ultra weighs 214g, for example. Meanwhile, as Wired points out, Apple’s foldable is expected to weigh around 230-241g while the iPhone 17 Pro Max weighs 233g.

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Samsung has certainly figured out a lot over the years from its foldables, but thickness and weight are perhaps the biggest improvements you’ll find if you pick up an older generation and compare it to the latest models.

With Apple’s first foldable iPhone – apparently called “iPhone Duo” – set to have the same core form factor as the Galaxy Z Fold 8, these two devices are set to battle. Apple is expected to be a major player in the foldable space within a year or so, despite Android’s major head start in this market.

All will be revealed later today – stay tuned to our sister site 9to5Mac for more!