Even before the iPhone Duo launched, Android and Samsung fans were ribbing Apple for being so late to the folding phone Party. After all, the first Galaxy Fold was launched in 2019.
Right after Apple’s September event, Samsung tweeted “Let us know when you’re done reheating our leftovers.”
Now that we’re getting closer to the iPhone Duo pre-order date of October 16, I thought it would be interesting to get the reaction of Sameer Samat, who is the president of the Android Ecosystem at Google.
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We sat down to talk about the new one google book press, but since these laptops are powered by Android, I wanted to ask him what he thought about Apple’s foldable entry versus Android foldables.
Better late than never
As you might expect, Samat pointed out that Apple’s foldable launch is a bit behind the Android camp.
“I think it’s wonderful to see more people realizing after so long that the foldable space is the place to be.”
Sameer Samat, Google
“I think it’s wonderful to see that more people are realizing after so long that the foldable space is the place to be. And Android is usually where you look at the future first.”
It’s true that Android beat Apple to the punch with the foldable by a long shot, including the wide fit factor the iPhone Duo has. Samat has the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and is a big fan of that device in particular.
“The Fold 8 is an amazing device, said Samat. “It helps me do so much work. I actually find that I start productivity on that device quite often, and then move to my laptop.
But the duo is still a real threat
At the same time, analysts predict a large foldable phone market for Apple. For example, Counterpoint research says Apple will gain about 25% of the market in year 1, growing to 40% by the end of 2027.
A lot of that probably has to do with the ecosystem factor. I have a story recently ranking the iPhone Duo trade-offs — from the lack of telezoom to a heavier weight versus the Fold 8 — and this reader comment summed up the pent-up demand best.
“Seriously, I’ve been waiting for Apple to enter the arena since the first Galaxy Z Fold (tried the Fold 5 and Fold 6, but just couldn’t do Android because I’m locked into the rest of the Apple ecosystem).”
Despite Apple’s momentum at the moment, Samat is confident that the duo will have a halo effect on Android foldables, as it will only increase interest in the category in general.
“I think what this speaks to is something that we’ve known for a long time in the Android ecosystem, which is that the foldable space, the foldable form factor is awesome.”
Apple = app advantage?
In addition, Apple could have a significant advantage when it comes to app support for larger foldable displays, as it makes a big push with developers.
In fact, Apple specifically named Slack during its event as one of the optimized apps, which as we speak still looks like a stretched phone app on Android foldable. Apple also showed off a foldable version of Netflix.
“I think that as this form factor becomes more and more popular, developers will realize that there is more and more value in investing in it.”
Sameer Samat, Google
Samat admitted that there is still work to be done. And ironically, Apple’s entry could be the tide to lift Android’s boot.
“I think that as this form factor becomes more and more popular, developers realize that there is more and more value in investing in it,” Samat said. “I think one of the things we’ve done is make the tools easier and easier for them to invest in. And of course there are apps that haven’t made that transition yet. Either they’re working on it, or we’re in talks with them, but there are also thousands upon thousands of apps that have.”
We talked about one of those apps in TikTok that works very well on the Samsung Fold 8. You get an immersive viewing experience on the outer display, and inside you can scroll videos on the left and view comments on the right.
In addition, many of Google’s own apps are fully optimized for folding, including Gmail and YouTube.
“We might pick an app or two that you know will have one platform or the other platform, but the reality is that this form factor is a hit,” Samat said. “It’s growing. It’s been growing for the past few weeks as well, and I’m happy to see more people joining what is now the obvious party.”
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