Samsung just fixed the foldable phone now Apple can make it cool

Date:
Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:08:22 +0000

Description:
The new Samsung Z Fold 8 Ultra is the best folding phone I've seen, but I'm waiting to see what Apple does in the same space.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Having just watched the Samsung Unpacked event , I think the Korean company has just fixed every major
problem that existed with foldable phones. Theyre now thinner, wider and more normal-looking, and yet even at the point where most of the kinks have been ironed out I still find them a bit uncool.

Theres still something about unfolding a phone in 2026 that feels unnecessary and a bit like a throwback from the 90s. It takes something that has been refined into a seamless sheet of glass and puts a hinge back into the middle of it. Sure, retro is cool, but foldable phones still feel stuck between two worlds to me. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: @techradar

original sound - TechRadar Cheaper in Korea Foldable phones are also still pretty expensive I wasnt the only one in the office raising an eyebrow at
the Z Fold 8 Ultras eye-watering $2000+ price when it was announced although at this point Im tempted to blame AI for making everything more expensive, even if it's up to 48% cheaper in Korea .

The new foldable phones look amazing, but its taken Samsung a while to get here it launched its first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold , back in 2019
at the time we called it, The most forward-thinking phone you shouldn't buy. You may like The iPhone Ultra will finally make foldables mainstream but not because of the hardware Here's how the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Ultra will fix foldables in 2026 Apple's iPhone Ultra could increase average foldable phone prices by 18%

But the real cultural test of the foldable phone may not arrive until Apple does what Apple does best walks into an established category, removes a few visible seams, adds a name that sounds like it came from a yoga retreat, and behaves as if everyone else had merely been beta-testing the future.

Under Steve Jobs, being best, not first, was Apples greatest trick. The iPod was not the first MP3 player. The iPhone was not the first smartphone. The iPad was not the first tablet. Apples genius was letting other companies
prove there was a category, then making the version people could imagine actually buying. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

It remains to be seen if the incoming CEO John Ternus has the ability to work the controls of Steve Jobs reality distortion machine in exactly the same way and convince people that Apples version of a folding phone will make them cool. Enter the iPhone Ultra That rumoured Apple foldable phone is the iPhone Ultra , which could arrive in September this year. Id also be surprised if it wasnt well over the $2,000 mark, too. Some reports suggest $2,500 .

I havent gotten hands-on with the new Z Fold 8 Ultra yet, but Ive used foldable phones before and they always felt incredibly geeky to me. Theyre impressive but slightly awkward to use, especially in public, and mostly bought by people who like explaining their phone to strangers. What to read next Samsung doesn't fear an iPhone Ultra here's why I think it's right not to Exclusive: Samsung executive on why they built the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple's iPhone Ultra threat iOS 27 beta code points to a foldable iPhone
Ultra

I understand that the foldable form factor makes it better for watching
videos using that massive inner screen, or by using the design to prop the phone up on a desk so you can watch on its outer display without having to hold it or carefully balance it against something.

I get that a large screen is better for gaming, too, but I cant remember the last time I played a game on my iPhone.

My problem is that I dont want to attract attention to myself. Phones are expensive and waving a larger screen around in public seems like it could
make you more of a target for thieves, or the simple curiosity of strangers. Id rather be left alone to enjoy my journey in peace with a phone that doesnt advertise my presence. @techradar

original sound - TechRadar The real problem isn't the hinge All of which makes me think that in September, Apples biggest challenge might not be
around making the perfect, seamless hinge, camera or screen aspect ratio.

It might be simply to convince people that foldable phones can be cool, even at their ridiculous prices, and thats going to be a tougher task than any of the technical hurdles it will need to overcome.

Saying that, if anybody can make us think that folding phones are for everyone, its Apple. Samsung has done the brave work of making foldables exist. Apples job is to make them feel less like a magic wallet and more like an iPhone that has learned a party trick. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-phones/samsung-just-fixed-the-foldabl e-phone-now-apple-can-make-it-cool


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