Samsung taking market share from Apple in U.S. as foldable phones gain momentum
53 comments
·September 11, 2025dkobia
ZeroCool2u
I genuinely think book reading is the killer app for foldable devices. A bigger screen for a movie or TV is nice to have, but not a game changer. When you have that much screen real estate you can get a really enjoyable experience reading a novel or just easily read a textbook or research paper in a way that's simply not possible on even the largest of what you might consider a typical size phone.
Plus, you no longer need to deal with buying and maintaining a separate device like an iPad! This is why I suspect Apple is dragging its feet on the foldable category, besides letting the screen technology mature. It will probably cannibalize some sales from that market segment.
rs186
So the facts we know are that 1) Samsung market share rising from 23% to 31% and 2) they recently released new foldable phones. But do we know that's the actual primary reason for the increase? I couldn't tell that from the article. The article mentions engagement of specific social media posts, but that's as much as it, without any sales number/estimates from anyone.
broast
I've had a flip 3 and flip 5 which both had screen and hinge problems within a year. I love the form factor but just don't take it to the beach.
My flip 5 inner screen is currently unusable so I'm stuck using the small square cover screen which I'm enjoying quite a bit too. I don't know if my next phone should be a flip phone or a small phone, but nothing gets as small or as good hardware as the front cover of these flip phones, vs other small phones
frereubu
I responded in another thread about the iPhone Air that I wanted something from Apple that's smaller than my current iPhone 13 mini. There are at least two of us!
dontlaugh
If they made a flip style iPhone that closed smaller than the mini and opened to similar size or only a bigger, I’d definitely buy it.
Lio
If Samsung had a better reputation for privacy they’re the brand I’d switch to for one of their folders.
I’m put off by how Samsung monetise every data source they’re trusted with though. E.g. TV viewing, phone data, Samsung Pay, forced analytics, etc.
As a brand they don't seem to have any restraint when it comes to user privacy.
ourmandave
I switched to a Motorola after my Samsung repeatedly nagged me about offers in my area with the ever popular "not now" instead of "f*ck off" button.
I'd like a foldable but not so much to pay $1300 for the Razr.
FirmwareBurner
What Samsung did you have? Afaik their flagships don't have any nagging. And which Motorola did you get? Don't they have the same promotional nagging?
ourmandave
Most my phones are the low end free-to-get-you-to-sign-up models.
AT&T doesn't have low end Motorolas so I bought an unlocked, guaranteed to work with AT&T, sub $300 one directly off motorola.com and took it to the AT&T store.
So far it's left me alone.
imp0cat
There is a positive side to that though. For example, their alternative to Apple's Find My seems to work quite well.
wraptile
I just bought a 2nd hand Fold 6 for 800$ and I'm not going back to slab phones ever. Primarily because I've never done as much reading as I've done in the past month with this phone. Removal of friction here has been such a game changer when it comes to productive use of my phone - now when I would doom scroll otherwise I just unfold my phone and do a bit of reading.
The only drawback is the camera but turns out it's much easier to carry a dedicated camera (Canon g7xm3 in my case) than a dedicated reading device / tablet.
rcarr
I felt this way at one point and vocally proclaimed as such on here. My Fold 5 developed a bubble under the screen protector after about 18 months. I sent it into Samsung through the website to get it repaired. Whoever "repaired" it, just seemed to slice the screen protector down the middle with an knife so it had a big ugly line down the center. Predictably, it was full of bubbles again within a week. I'm not even bothering opening it anymore for fear that it will break the inner screen. Between this and the fact that I had another two Samsung phones that developed hardware faults making them unusable after 2 years of use, I'm absolutely done with Samsung. Before that, I had an iPhone that was still going strong after 7 years. I'm preordering an iPhone tomorrow and selling the Samsung. Doubt I will be venturing into the Android ecosystem again. Might get an Apple foldable depending on what the initial reports are like on durability after it's been around for a couple of years. The time sink of having to transfer a phone across is high and I really cba with doing it because of avoidable screen repair.
treecrypto
>I had another two Samsung phones that developed hardware faults making them unusable after 2 years of use, I'm absolutely done with Samsung
I haven't tried any foldable phones and I have no intention to anytime soon, but with other samsung phones my experience has been completely different. I've only ever used Samsung smartphones, and the only times they broke was when I dropped them or mishandled them myself somehow. My current one is past the 6 year mark, and I have no issues with it. It still keeps 48 hours of battery with my normal use (though that might not be saying much considering my normal use is different from most people's normal use of watching videos for hours)
Agentus
yeah I had my samsung phone brick after three years. Not sure I trust samsung hardware either.
robin_reala
Given the price and fragility of foldables, I’m happier to stick to a cheap phone with a small screen to minimise the urge to use it (second-hand iPhone 13 Mini), and carry around a Kobo for reading needs.
williamdclt
> I’m happier to stick to a cheap phone with a small screen to minimise the urge to use it (second-hand iPhone 13 Mini)
Me too, but this option is disappearing. As our minis reach end of life, I don't think we'll have other "small" options than foldables, unless you're willing to go for super niche android phones (eg unihertz)
Hopefully the foldables become more resilient by then
bartvk
Yup, a friend of mine has been into folding phones for some years now, and he warned me that these foldables seem to last about two years before something happens. (He didn't quite specify what would happen, though.)
theshackleford
I got a friend on a fold going on four years now, it's fine. Milage varies I suppose.
goosedragons
I have one of the newer lowend Razrs. It wasn't that expensive, less than a base model iPhone and it actually helps me use my phone less because it takes intention to actually open it.
wraptile
The fragility is mostly a myth. New foldables are very durable.
rjh29
I also bought a 2nd hand Fold 4 for $700... it lasted a year before the wifi/bluetooth broke, it stopped folding all the way, and eventually stopped booting up.
Seem to always have reliability issues with Samsung phones. Hopefully the 6th iteration is more stable.
blitzar
[flagged]
wraptile
You're quoting something I didn't say and reading books is pointless?
noelwelsh
Did the parent edit their comment, or did you choose an ungenerous interpretation of what they wrote?
eloisius
This is just 4chan-style argumentation where you belittle someone by purposefully misinterpreting and misquoting them.
wraptile
The latter, I've never said what the parent comment is quoting.
rjh29
Yeah I also watched more youtube on the fold... I don't miss it. Except for when doing the Sunday New York Times crossword!
rubzah
Been using a flip for four years (Samsung) and will buy another when the time comes (not necessarily Samsung).
Ever wanted a smaller phone? That's a flip phone, it just happens to expand when you need it. Ever drop your phone and damage the screen ? The closed flip phone is super sturdy. Ever wanted to put your phone on the table and use it with one hand, laptop style? Flip. Even in general use, having it slightly bent towards you is a nicer experience that a fully flat phone.
Yes, it has a slight crease in the middle, it has never bothered me even a little. And now, there's an actual microcrack across the crease, doesn't really bother me either, but for some people it might. Look forward to improvements in the next generations.
542354234235
I had the Flip 2, 3, and 5. I just switched to the Moto Razr Ultra and I feel like it is even better. The external screen works almost like the internal screen, making it extremely easy to use. Samsung locks down their external screen pretty hard and you need a lot of work arounds that still don't give me the same functionality as the Razr.
I also got the Clicks physical keyboard case for it, which turns it into a modern Blackberry type phone. I love it. The physical keyboard means no on-screen keyboard taking up your external screen space. I only actually open my phone a few times a day, which really helps keep doomscrolling at bay. Full discloser, the keyboard isn't perfect and definitely has some quirks and tradeoffs but on the whole I'm glad I got it.
out_of_protocol
Samsung Folds 1-6 are kinda bad, much worse than competitors. Samsung Fold 7 is really good, so are Honor phones (V3, V5). Honor folds are sold on Amazon in Europe. Currently own V3 one, 1 year in, so far so good, feels really sturdy.
high_na_euv
Flip phones are really the only phone product that actually excites me
Mistletoe
Why does it excite you?
high_na_euv
It reminds me the phones from 2005, they were really cool and smaller in ya pocket
simoncion
If one is interested in small smartphones, the Unihertz Jelly series of phones might satisfy that interest.
(Amazingly, "small" is roughly the size of the Nexus S... which I found to be the ideal phone size for my large hands.)
beAbU
Everyone is forgetting that Apple had a foldable phone in 2014/15
thebruce87m
Apple are in a bind here since the bend/crease will degrade over time. Other manufacturers get a pass on this sort of stuff (just look at Pixel phones not making emergency calls for a prime example), but apple will be hit with fines and class action lawsuits.
beAbU
Don't make it sound like Apple is some sort of victim of regulation who's being picked on the whole time.
They will not get fines and lawsuits if they make a foldable phone with a display that degrades over time.
I do think a move like this will hurt their reputation for making durable devices. They are a victim of their own success a little here.
Zigurd
Apple sometimes manages to wait out bad ideas: they never gave into the bad idea of touchscreen "convertible" laptops, just conceding the touch bar which is now extinct.
jrs235
Personally I think they're ugly. They might have some functional advantage, that I don't know. I believe they're going to be the cyber truck of mobile phones, primarily a status symbol.
jemmyw
I mean who cares that much what their metal slab looks like? I jest because I know lots of people do, but it really should be a thing primarily for function. I'd like a foldable if it had as nice cameras as my current phone.
bartvk
If you make a lot of selfies then the camera is actually better.
When making selfies on a regular phone, you use the front-facing camera which is often sub-par. But with the Samsung Folds, you use the main camera for selfies (you flip open the phone, and see the viewfinder on the outside screen).
I thought the idea of a folding phone was just a cash grab until I saw someone on the plane across the aisle from me interacting with one. It has been a while since I saw someone get so much enjoyment out of a device. The back and forth between folded and unfolded to read messages and watch movies/read a book was mesmerizing. It made me realize that this form factor could actually enhance the user experience in a meaningful way.