Samsung's slender foldables may soon be outdone by apple's ecosystem

Samsung's pursuit of the world's thinnest foldable phone is a race against time, driven by the need to stand out in a market where the early advantages of this form factor have largely been ironed out.

From bulky to sleek

Foldables were once notable for their thickness, but Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series has dramatically slimmed down models, with the Z Fold 7 measuring just 4.2mm when unfolded and the rumored Z Fold 8 Ultra potentially matching the Honor Magic V6 at around 4.1mm.

Yet, while these measurements might sound impressive, the question remains: does it really matter to most users? The difference between 4.2mm and 4.1mm is often imperceptible without a ruler, and even 4.5mm, as seen in Huawei's Mate X7, isn't exactly bulky.

Samsung's drive to continually reduce thickness may be more about keeping up appearances and maintaining its competitive edge rather than a genuine user need.

Entering the foldable fray

apple's expected entry into the foldable market with its long-rumored iPhone Ultra could significantly shake up the landscape. Analysts predict the iPhone Ultra could become the world's best-selling foldable brand by 2027, not necessarily due to its hardware, but thanks to apple's formidable ecosystem and customer loyalty.

This could mean the market's focus shifts from who can build the thinnest device to which ecosystem gives users the strongest reasons to choose a foldable phone in the first place.

As Samsung and other established players have spent years refining foldable technology to make it practical, Apple may inherit a largely mature market and quickly reshape it with the strength of its brand.

In this scenario, the race for the world's thinnest foldable could quickly become secondary to the battle for ecosystem supremacy.