Foldable Phones Are Getting Real—Will Apple Follow Samsung?

Last updated: October 13, 2026

Samsung just pulled the plug on the Galaxy Note. For years, the brand was synonymous with premium Android. Now it's absorbed into the Ultra tier of the Galaxy S lineup—a symbolic burial of a decade-old flagship. The message is clear: Samsung sees foldables as the future, and it's betting heavily on the category to replace the Note's legacy.

That raises a obvious question for readers here: if Samsung is going all-in on folding, where does that leave Apple and the rumored foldable iPhone?

At a Glance

• Samsung discontinues the Galaxy Note brand, folding its identity into the Galaxy S Ultra line
• Canalys forecasts foldable shipments will surge from 8.9 million in 2021 to over 30 million by 2024
• Android premium phones face pressure—$800-plus shipments dropped 18% below 2019 levels while iOS grew 68%
• Apple remains uncommitted; reports suggest the company is still weighing whether to commercialize a foldable device
• Analysts say the pandemic may have counterintuitively boosted demand for larger-screen devices, fueling foldable interest

Why Samsung's Move Matters

Let's be clear about what Samsung just did. The Note wasn't struggling—it was a category-defining product. Killing it isn't a sign of weakness. It's a statement of confidence in folding technology and a calculated pivot to position the Galaxy Z line as the new mobile flagship.

Canalys analyst Toby Joe notes that Android makers are under severe pressure in the premium segment. Shipments of phones priced above $800 have dropped 18% compared to 2019, while iOS sales grew 68% in the same period. That gap is forcing Samsung and its competitors to chase innovation wherever they can find it. Foldables represent one of the few remaining frontiers for hardware differentiation.

Samsung isn't alone anymore, though. Oppo's Find N earned surprisingly strong reviews, with critics calling it "folding done right"—a sharp contrast to earlier attempts by Motorola and others. The form factor is maturing, prices are gradually dropping, and more manufacturers are entering the space. That's exactly what Samsung wanted: to normalize the category so it becomes the new normal rather than a niche experiment.

The Pandemic Paradox

Here's the counterintuitive part: COVID-19 lockdowns initially hurt smartphone sales. People weren't going out, so upgrading felt less urgent. Layoffs and income uncertainty made discretionary spending harder to justify. Supply chain chaos and chip shortages added another layer of pain.

But Canalys analyst Ronar Biorhuda sees a longer-term silver lining. The pandemic drove people toward larger-screen devices for both work and entertainment. That shift in behavior may have raised consumer expectations for screen size and productivity—exactly the use case that foldables are designed to address.

In other words, the same forces that dampened short-term demand might fuel longer-term adoption. A few years of upgrade delay, combined with pent-up savings and refreshed spending appetite, could create the conditions for a foldable boom once supply chains stabilize.

What It Means for You

Say you're an Israeli reader holding off on a new iPhone, waiting to see if Apple releases a folding model. Samsung's move raises the stakes. If a foldable iPhone does arrive—analysts have floated 2023 as the earliest estimate—it would legitimize the category in a way Samsung alone cannot. Apple's entry would likely trigger a wave of interest from mainstream buyers who currently dismiss foldables as expensive novelties.

Until then, you have options. Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip demonstrates that the form factor can work at a price point closer to mainstream—smaller and more pocketable than the Galaxy Fold. If you want to experience folding now without committing to Apple's ecosystem, the Z Flip is a reasonable starting point.

Bottom Line

Samsung just drew a line in the sand. The Note is dead; long live foldables. The category is still small—30 million projected shipments is a rounding error against 1.39 billion total smartphones shipped in 2021—but growth trajectories are pointing in one direction.

For Apple, the question isn't whether the technology works. It's whether the company can deliver a foldable experience that meets its own quality bar while justifying the pricing. Samsung has proven the concept. Apple now has to decide whether to follow or risk looking behind the curve.

Key takeaways

• Samsung killing the Note signals full commitment to foldables—watch how the Galaxy Z line evolves
• Canalys projects 30 million foldable shipments by 2024, up from 8.9 million in 2021
• Apple remains the biggest wildcard; any signal about a foldable iPhone will dominate headlines for years
• Premium Android vendors are under pressure to differentiate; foldables represent one of their few remaining levers
• If you're in no hurry to upgrade, patience may pay off—both in lower prices and in Apple's eventual move