Apple has waited a very long time to launch its first foldable iPhone, with Samsung already eight generations in to its Galaxy Z Fold series.

There were already good reasons for Apple to wait, but the latest Samsung experience seems to indicate that the iPhone maker’s timings couldn’t have been better …

Samsung was among the biggest enthusiasts for folding smartphones, but it quickly became apparent that the Korean company had jumped the gun. The first generation Samsung Galaxy Fold display proved so vulnerable to damage that the company had to withdraw it from sale.

Apple, meantime, was waiting patiently for the display tech to mature to the point where it was not only significantly more robust, but also had no visible crease when the device is unfolded. The company reportedly had to get its own design engineers involved in helping Samsung achieve this.

We noted last month that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 likely has an extremely similar display to that destined for the iPhone Ultra. Our sister site 9to5Google found that it absolutely delivered on the promise of making the crease in the centre of the screen barely visible once unfolded.

But it’s not just that Samsung has finally got the display tech right, it’s also that consumer demand finally seems to be there. 9to5Google reports that initial demand for the Fold 8 is triple that of its predecessor.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 8 series has turned out to be an absolute smash hit for the company, with the new foldables now delayed across the board in shipping amid demand that’s apparently 3x higher than initial Fold 7 demand.

That built on last year’s 50% increase in demand.

It’s of course likely that the two facts are connected – a creaseless display significantly boosts appeal – but factoring in last year’s growth suggests that foldables have also now been around long enough for more people to see the benefits of the form factor.

The iPhone Ultra is set to launch next month alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. It’s expected that the device will quickly achieve around a 25% share of the total folding smartphones market.

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
• Apple products on Amazon Renewed
• Official Apple Store on Amazon
• Discounted AirPods Pro 3
• Wireless CarPlay adapter
• AirTag holders and accessories
• Mac Pro-style Mac mini casing

Photo: 9to5Google