Why TM Roh Believes Samsung Is Ready for Apple's Foldable iPhone

Samsung is showing little concern over Apple’s expected entry into the foldable smartphone market, with Samsung Electronics Acting Vice Chairman and Mobile eXperience (MX) Division head TM Roh arguing that seven years of investment in foldables have given the company an advantage that rivals cannot replicate overnight.

Speaking to reporters after Galaxy Unpacked in London, Roh said Samsung’s technological expertise and understanding of customer needs in foldables had been built over years of continuous development. Even as competition intensifies, he said, Samsung intends to extend its lead by continuing to “set new standards” rather than reacting to rivals.

His comments come as Apple is widely expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone later this year, setting up the biggest challenge yet to Samsung’s dominance of the premium foldable segment.

While Apple’s arrival is likely to bring fresh attention to foldable smartphones, Roh’s message was clear: Samsung believes the battle will be won through years of engineering refinement rather than a single product launch.

Samsung has spent the better part of the past seven years turning foldables from experimental devices into a mainstream premium smartphone category.

Since launching the original Galaxy Fold in 2019, the company has refined hinge mechanisms, improved durability, optimized software for larger and flexible displays, and steadily reduced the compromises traditionally associated with foldable devices.

That accumulated experience is now central to Samsung’s competitive argument.

Rather than positioning foldables as futuristic concepts, Samsung increasingly presents them as mature smartphones designed around different lifestyles and productivity needs. Roh’s remarks reflect confidence that these incremental improvements create barriers that cannot be quickly overcome, even by a company with Apple’s engineering resources.

The argument extends beyond hardware. Samsung has spent multiple software generations adapting One UI for multitasking, split-screen workflows, drag-and-drop functionality and app continuity across folding displays. Those optimizations are difficult to appreciate in specification sheets but become meaningful in everyday use.

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event reinforced that confidence through a noticeably broader foldable strategy.

Instead of relying on a single flagship Fold model, Samsung has expanded its premium lineup with the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip8, each targeting different types of users.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 introduces a wider, shorter form factor that prioritizes everyday usability. Its 16:10 cover display and 4:3 internal display are designed to make common tasks such as web browsing, reading documents and watching standard video content feel more natural without sacrificing portability.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra remains Samsung’s flagship productivity device. It combines a larger internal display with a 200MP camera system, upgraded silicon-carbon battery technology, faster 45W charging and enhanced thermal management for sustained performance.

The Galaxy Z Flip8 continues serving buyers looking for a more compact foldable experience, giving Samsung a portfolio that now spans multiple form factors instead of asking one device to satisfy every premium customer.

That broader lineup illustrates the point Roh was making. Samsung is no longer defending a niche category. It is segmenting the foldable market much like traditional smartphones have long been divided into standard, Plus and Ultra models.

features alone.

The latest Fold devices are lighter, offer larger batteries than previous generations, support faster charging and launch with One UI 9 based on Android 17, backed by seven years of software and security updates.

These improvements may appear incremental individually, but together they reflect years of iteration across hardware, software and manufacturing.

The introduction of different aspect ratios also highlights Samsung’s willingness to experiment with how foldables are used. The wider Galaxy Z Fold8 is optimized for video playback, photography and everyday navigation, while the Fold8 Ultra emphasizes multitasking and professional workflows through its larger display.

Those are choices that typically emerge after several product generations rather than during a first attempt at a new category.

Samsung’s confidence does not diminish the significance of Apple’s anticipated entry.

Apple has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to reshape premium smartphone categories through its tightly integrated ecosystem, software optimization and loyal customer base. Even if its first foldable iPhone arrives with a single form factor, the device is expected to attract strong consumer interest and encourage more developers to optimize apps for folding displays.

Reports have also suggested Apple has faced engineering challenges related to hinge durability and foldable display manufacturing, highlighting the complexity of bringing a reliable foldable device to market. While those reports remain unconfirmed by Apple, they underscore the technical hurdles Samsung has spent years addressing across multiple product generations.

For Samsung, however, Apple’s arrival appears less like a disruption and more like validation.

Roh’s comments suggest Samsung believes the conversation around foldables is shifting.

For years, the industry’s focus was on proving that foldable smartphones could become practical daily devices. Samsung’s latest strategy indicates it now sees the category as mature enough to support multiple designs tailored to different users rather than a single flagship intended to serve everyone.

That is perhaps the clearest message from Galaxy Unpacked.

Samsung is not waiting to respond to Apple’s first foldable iPhone. It is entering this next chapter with a diversified portfolio, years of engineering experience and confidence that the competitive advantage it has built since 2019 cannot be replicated overnight.

Whether Apple’s first foldable iPhone ultimately reshapes consumer expectations remains to be seen. But if TM Roh’s remarks are any indication, Samsung believes the race is no longer about who launches a foldable first. It is about who has spent the longest learning how people actually use one.

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