Samsung's Secret Power: Seven Years of Rewriting the Rules of Foldables

Manal Saleh 

In 2019, Samsung took a massive leap into the unknown and introduced the world to the original Galaxy Fold. That single, bold move created a sought-after and competitive category, turned a futuristic concept into a tangible reality, and rewrote the rules of what a smartphone can do.

Over the coming years, Samsung has continued to innovate and improve on their original design, expanding their portfolio in 2020 with the pocketable Galaxy Z Flip, a celebration of nostalgic flip phones, and now a symbol of self-expression. What initially was seen as a niche segment has soon broken into the mainstream, catering to a variety of use cases and demographics in ways that bar-type phones do not.  

Less than one week away from next Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung is hinting at an expanded Galaxy portfolio. The new lineup is expected to include updates to the form factor, an upgraded hinge, and a slimmer design. This follows Samsung’s engineering innovations that we’ve seen over the years including:

• Pioneering Durability: Engineering milestones like Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) replaced initial polymer screens, offering a premium, tactile feel while drastically increasing lifespan
• Resilience in Everyday Life: Introduced IPX8 water resistance to foldables, proving that flexible mechanics didn’t mean compromising on daily durability
• Form Meets Function: Refinements culminated in the zero-gap Flex Hinge, a mechanical masterpiece that made the devices slimmer, more elegant, and more ergonomic than ever before

What truly separates a category leader from the rest of the industry is consistency. While many companies have experimented with concepts, Samsung has spent the last seven years actively defining and redefining the standard for foldable smartphones.

That is Samsung’s secret power to its foldable success; seven years of innovation and evolution. While the rest of the category is still deciding what a foldable should be, or experimenting with their first entry, Samsung has spent seven generations perfecting the experience and getting people ready for the next era of foldables.