The foldable phone race just got a whole lot messier, and Samsung is feeling the heat like never before.
Fresh numbers out of the display supply chain show Samsung's share of the foldable market sliding, and industry insiders say the culprit is simple: buyers are waiting to see what Apple does next.
That's right — the company that has never shipped a single foldable phone is somehow casting a shadow over the entire category.
For years, Samsung owned this space outright.
The Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold lines were the only game in town for anyone who wanted a phone that bends.
Analysts point to rising prices, incremental yearly upgrades, and a wave of Chinese rivals — Honor, Oppo, Xiaomi — undercutting Samsung on price and, in some cases, beating it on thinness.
HERE'S THE KICKER: word on the street is that Apple's first foldable is in active development, and the rumor mill says it could arrive as soon as next year.
Nothing official, of course — Apple never confirms anything until it's standing on a stage — but supply chain chatter has been loud and consistent.
So why does a phone that doesn't exist yet matter so much?
Because Apple buyers are famously patient.
If you're locked into iMessage, AirPods, and an Apple Watch, switching to a Galaxy Z Fold means walking away from your entire ecosystem.
Plenty of people would rather wait two years than make that trade.
Samsung's response has been to throw everything at the wall.
It's pushing thinner designs, better hinges, and AI features nobody asked for.
The problem is that none of it feels like a reason to upgrade — and that's a dangerous place for a category leader to be.
Meanwhile, the foldable market itself is at a crossroads.
Shipments are growing, but the growth is coming from cheaper devices in Asia, not premium flagships in the US.
That's a brutal squeeze for Samsung, which built its foldable business on the high end.
Here's what actually matters for you, the American shopper: if you've been eyeing a foldable, the worst thing you can do right now is buy at full price.
Prices on current-gen models are already softening, and once Apple shows its hand, expect everyone else to panic-discount.
And if you absolutely need a folding phone today, buy last year's model at a discount — the upgrades between generations have been embarrassingly small.
Our take: Samsung didn't lose this race, but it's clearly coasting, and coasting is how leaders get caught.
Apple doesn't need to invent the foldable — it just needs to show up with a polished one and let the ecosystem do the rest.
Final Thoughts
If you're a Samsung fan, enjoy the discounts, because the pressure is only going to get more intense from here.