I don’t often get asked about the phones I’m testing when I’m out and about, unless it’s a folding phone.
But is putting the Ultra name on a folding phone enough?
In the US, Samsung was the earliest and loudest folding phone maker, but a half dozen iterations of folding phones hasn’t managed to make a significant dent.
Analysts are putting a lot of stock in rumors of a folding phone from Apple coming in 2026.
Maybe an Ultra foldable with ultra specs will convince some people who were on the fence about folding phones.
When I’m out and about, I’m rarely asked about the phones I’m testing—unless it’s a folding phone. Then I typically hear a variation of this: “Oh, I considered getting one of those, but I ended up with a [insert slab-style phone name here].”. There are far more people who are interested in folding phones than there are folding phone buyers, according to my anecdotal data, which confirms the actual sales figures. Samsung really wants that to not be the case, and it looks like it’s going to go all out at its Unpacked event on July 9. However, does a folding phone bearing the Ultra name suffice?
Samsung has been attempting to sell us foldables for a significant portion of the past ten years, and Google joined the fray a few years ago, so the poor sales are not the result of a lack of effort. In 2024, Motorola’s foldable market share increased 253% year over year, according to Counterpoint Research, demonstrating the company’s significant success selling clamshell-style flip phones. However, that represents a larger portion of a very small pie. According to TrendForce, in 2024, foldables would only account for 0.5 percent of the total smartphone market. Samsung was the first and loudest manufacturer of folding phones in the US, but six other folding phone iterations haven’t been able to make a big impact.
That Samsung’s foldable lineup from the previous year was a barely improved version of the one from the previous year didn’t help either. When you opened the Fold 6, it lay flat and didn’t exactly grip objects. The Z Flip 6 was a spec bump with some software improvements. We are fortunate that Samsung appears to have more exciting plans for this time.
In order to compete with Honor and Oppo’s recent endeavors, the company has virtually assured us that we will see an Ultra-branded Fold for the first time, featuring a thinner profile. We may see a less expensive FE version with the previous cover screen design, but the Z Flip 7 is probably going to get a larger, Razr-style screen that takes up most of the front panel. All of that seems to address a few common grievances regarding foldables: they are too expensive and have too many compromises when compared to phones with a slab design.
But I’m not entirely sure it’ll be sufficient. Foldable phones are still more prone to dust damage than flagship phones, and repairs can be more expensive. Samsung has stated years ago that it is working toward complete dustproofing, but it hasn’t yet managed to create a foldable that is fully IP68 rated. Taking a chance on a pricey phone that isn’t as durable as your average flagship phone that costs $1,000? That’s a lot to ask, especially since the cost of everything else we purchase is also rising.
Foldables are not entirely doomed, though. Analysts are placing a great deal of trust in reports that Apple will release a folding phone in 2026. The market could be expanded, at least in the US, with the aid of an iFold or similar product; perhaps Samsung would benefit from this as well. Perhaps a few new models targeting various price points will be sufficient to restore Samsung’s market share growth, a tactic that has previously proven effective for the business. Perhaps a foldable phone with ultra-high specifications will persuade some individuals who were hesitant to fold their phones. Furthermore, Samsung may have the extra hinge that some people had been waiting for.
