Samsung launches Fold 7, when will iPhone redefine foldable smartphones?
On the evening of July 9, 2025 (Vietnam time), Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Besides Samsung, a series of other Android phone companies have launched their foldable screen phone products. Meanwhile, iPhone users are wondering when the world's largest phone company will reach this 'technological breakthrough'.
Foldable screen phones, Android smartphone trend
In November 2018, Royole launched the FlexPai, which is considered the first commercially available foldable phone with an outward-folding OLED display. However, there was controversy over its durability and practicality.
In February 2019, at Mobile World Congress, Samsung officially announced the Galaxy Fold, along with the Huawei Mate X and prototypes from TCL such as DragonHinge (including the bracelet design). However, both the Galaxy Fold and Mate X had quality issues, leading to a delay in their April 2019 launch. Samsung had to recall review units due to broken screens, while Huawei chose to be cautious, delaying the Mate X to improve.
Since 2019, the foldable phone market has begun to expand with models such as the Motorola Razr and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip in November 2019, Huawei Mate Xs in February 2020, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 in September 2020.
2021 saw the participation of many brands such as Huawei with Mate X2, Xiaomi with Mi MIX Fold, and OPPO with Find N, marking diversification in design and features.
From 2022, companies like Vivo, Xiaomi, and Samsung continue to launch new models, including Vivo X Fold (April 2022), Xiaomi MIX Fold 2 (August 2022), and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4.
In September 2024, Huawei launched the Mate XT, the first tri-fold phone, opening a new era for folding technology.
On July 9, 2025, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 7 at the Galaxy Unpacked event in New York, further cementing its leadership in the foldable smartphone market.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 8.9mm thin when folded and 4.2mm thin when opened, has a 6.5-inch cover display, an 8-inch main display, a 4,400mAh battery, and a 200MP main camera. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is 6.5mm thin when opened, has a 4.1-inch cover display, a 6.9-inch main display, a 4,300mAh battery, and a 50MP main camera. The Z Flip 7 FE is the cheaper version, with a thicker design and a smaller screen.
In addition to Samsung, other companies also have new foldable models in 2025, including Motorola Razr 2025 (starting at $699), Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, OnePlus Open, Oppo Find N5, HONOR Magic V3, and Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, contributing to enriching the market and increasing competition.
iPhone stays out of the game
Since the first foldable smartphone was launched, nearly 7 years ago, iPhone users are still looking forward to the first foldable iPhone. But since the iPhone 11 series until now (soon to be iPhone 17), what Apple has brought are just a few breakthrough features (according to the company) that have been available on Android for a long time, and are called by users under the name "redefining features".
All users remember about the iPhone upgrades from the iPhone 11 series is the redefinition of function. Being a designer at Apple is quite easy. It seems that because it has been at its peak for too long, the iPhone has become its own 'villain', no longer has breakthrough ideas, no longer pioneers leading trends, like what the company showed under Apple CEO Steve Jobs with iPhone 3,4,5
iPhone 17 generation, old wine in a new bottle
According to the latest information from WCCF Tech, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may have a major change in the design of the back. Instead of keeping the traditional design, Apple is expected to apply a prominent camera bar design similar to the Google Pixel line.
YouTuber Jon Prosser from the Front Page Tech channel revealed that the iPhone 17 Pro will no longer use a cluster of 3 cameras placed separately like previous generations. Instead, Apple will integrate the main camera, LED flash, microphone and LiDAR sensor into a long camera bar, similar to the design of the Google Pixel 9.
Another interesting point is that the iPhone 17 Pro will likely be finished in two different tones. The camera bar will be darker than the rest of the body, creating contrast and highlighting this new design.
Apple is also expected to upgrade the cooling system for the iPhone 17 with vapor chamber cooling technology. This solution has been used by many high-end Android devices, helping to disperse heat evenly over a larger area. Thanks to that, the device will avoid performance degradation due to overheating and maintain stable operation, especially suitable for the thin design of the iPhone.
It can be seen that the innovations on this iPhone 17 are just a little tweak compared to the iPhone 16. Even the cooling system for the iPhone 17 is just a redefinition of function. When this function was present on high-end Android lines many years ago.
A vague sign when iPhone sales slightly decreased in the first quarter of 2025. If it does not innovate, Apple could completely follow Nokia's historical footsteps.
