Next phase to be decided by engineering trade-offs, not thinness alone The Galaxy Z Flip7 (left) and iPhone Air (Samsung Electronics, Apple) Samsung Electronics will unveil its next-generation Galaxy foldables in London on July 22, looking to widen its lead before Apple enters the market with a first-generation device likely to face immediate scrutiny over its thickness, battery life and durability.The launch comes a year after the two companies tested demand for ultrathin phones, with the 5.8-millimeter Galaxy S25 Edge pitted against the 5.6-millimeter iPhone Air.Market research firm International Data Corp. estimated that Samsung shipped 1.31 million Galaxy S25 Edge units globally in the second quarter of 2025, its first quarter on sale. Separately, Ookla’s crowdsourced Speedtest data showed the iPhone Air accounted for 6.8 percent of US samples from the iPhone 17 generation in the fourth quarter.The figures are not directly comparable and offer only partial snapshots of demand. Still, neither points to ultrathin models displacing the Ultra and Pro flagships at the center of the two companies’ lineups.“Consumers notice the weight and thickness immediately when they hold a phone, but when it comes to making a purchase, they still compare battery life, cameras and price,” said an industry source familiar with smartphone product planning. “Thinness alone is a difficult sell.”That makes foldables a more meaningful test of slim-device engineering. The Galaxy Z Fold7 measures 8.9 millimeters when closed and weighs 215 grams, making it 26 percent thinner and about 10 percent lighter than its predecessor.“Making a foldable thinner is not just about reducing the size of the hinge,” the source said. “The display, battery, cameras, circuit board and thermal system all have to be redesigned together. The real competition is over who can make the phone feel less bulky without asking consumers to give up the features they expect.”Samsung has had several generations to address those complaints. Apple will have far less room for error.Apple has not announced a foldable iPhone, although it is reportedly on track for a September launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models. Earlier reports said engineering problems could delay initial shipments.The iPhone Air showed how tightly Apple can package components in a slim body, while the iPhone 17 Pro line gave more room to the battery and thermal system.Its first foldable would need to fit a large battery, advanced cameras, thermal hardware, a hinge and a durable flexible display into a device light enough for daily use, and would be judged against products Samsung and Chinese rivals have spent years refining.Chinese makers are already raising the bar. Honor’s Magic V5 measures 8.8 millimeters when folded in its lightest version and carries a 5,820 milliampere-hour battery, while Oppo’s Find N5 pairs an 8.93-millimeter folded body with a 5,600 mAh battery.The latest models show that thin foldables are increasingly judged by what they retain, not thickness alone. Samsung still holds advantages in distribution, after-sales service, software support and Galaxy AI, though its hardware lead has narrowed.Counterpoint estimated global foldable shipments at 19.6 million units in 2025, up 18 percent on-year but still less than 2 percent of total smartphone shipments. Canalys data showed foldables accounted for 4 percent of Samsung’s smartphone unit sales but 16 percent of its devices priced above $800.“Samsung has the experience, but Apple gets to enter after the market’s biggest problems are already well known,” another industry source said. “That puts pressure on both companies.”“Once Apple enters, consumers will care less about who has the thinnest phone,” he added. “They will care about whether it is comfortable to use every day and what, if anything, was sacrificed to make it thinner.”