Samsung’s “Welcome to Foldables” campaign takes a playful swipe at Apple’s entry into the foldable phone market.
Samsung is making it clear that it is not ready to give up its lead in the foldable smartphone market. Following Apple’s entry into the foldable category with the new iPhone Duo, Samsung has launched a promotional campaign called “Welcome to Foldables”, taking a playful swipe at its biggest smartphone rival.
The campaign highlights Samsung’s years of experience with foldable phones while subtly reminding consumers that Apple is arriving much later to a category Samsung helped establish.
Samsung began selling its first mass-market foldable smartphone in 2019 and has since released multiple generations of foldable devices. Now, with Apple finally entering the market, the competition between the two companies is moving into a new phase.
Samsung’s “Welcome to Foldables” Message
Samsung’s latest campaign is built around a simple message: welcome to a category Samsung has already been developing for years.
The company has used advertisements and social media posts to draw attention to its foldable experience and the evolution of its Galaxy Z lineup.
Billboards in cities including Seoul, Tokyo and London carry messages such as “Welcome to Foldables” and highlight the thin and lightweight design of Samsung’s latest foldable phones.
The timing is clearly intentional. Apple has now unveiled its first foldable iPhone, giving Samsung an opportunity to remind consumers that it has already gone through several generations of hardware development.
Samsung has also used social media to poke fun at Apple, with posts suggesting that some of Apple's latest ideas are not as new as they appear.
Apple Finally Enters the Foldable Phone Market
Apple's entry is significant because the company has traditionally waited before entering new product categories.
The newly introduced iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable iPhone and starts at $1,999. The device uses a wide, passport-style folding design, putting it directly against Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold lineup.
The iPhone Duo features a large internal display and a smaller external screen, allowing users to switch between a conventional smartphone experience and a larger tablet-like display when the device is unfolded.
Apple is also betting heavily on software. The company has redesigned parts of iOS to take advantage of the larger folding display and has worked with developers to optimize applications for the new form factor.
For Samsung, however, Apple's arrival represents both a challenge and an opportunity.
Samsung Has Years of Foldable Experience
Samsung entered the foldable market when the technology was still considered experimental.
The company's first Galaxy Fold faced serious problems during its initial rollout, including display-related issues that forced Samsung to delay the launch. Since then, the company has continued refining the hinge, display, durability and overall design of its foldable smartphones.
That experience is now one of Samsung's strongest arguments against Apple.
Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Fold8 has become considerably thinner and lighter compared with earlier generations. Samsung executives have said that reducing weight is one of the most important factors in making foldable phones more appealing to mainstream consumers.
The latest Fold8 reportedly weighs 201 grams, representing a major reduction compared with Samsung's original foldable phones.
Samsung is essentially telling consumers that it has already spent years solving many of the problems that come with building a practical foldable smartphone.
Samsung Is Also Highlighting Thinness and Weight
One of the biggest themes in Samsung's campaign is portability.
Early foldable smartphones were often criticized for being thick and heavy. While the larger displays provided additional functionality, carrying a bulky device could make the experience less convenient.
Samsung has spent several generations addressing this problem.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 adopts a slimmer design and weighs less than previous Fold models. Samsung says its engineering work has focused heavily on reducing weight while maintaining durability and structural strength.
This gives Samsung another angle for its marketing campaign: the company is not simply saying that it was first — it is also emphasizing how much the technology has evolved since the first Galaxy Fold.
Samsung's Social Media Jabs at Apple
Samsung's response has not been limited to traditional advertising.
Following Apple's announcement, Samsung published several sarcastic posts on X aimed at the iPhone Duo. Some posts suggested that Apple was following ideas Samsung had already introduced, using phrases such as “reheating our leftovers” and “So far, so same.”
This kind of rivalry is nothing new for Samsung and Apple.
Both companies have previously used advertising and social media to criticize each other's products. However, the foldable market gives Samsung a particularly strong opportunity because it has a much longer history in the category.
Apple may have the advantage of its enormous ecosystem and loyal customer base, but Samsung can point to years of experience developing actual foldable hardware.
Apple Could Still Change the Foldable Market
Despite Samsung's confidence, Apple's arrival should not be underestimated.
Foldable smartphones have remained a relatively small part of the overall smartphone market. One of Apple's biggest strengths is its ability to bring technologies that already exist to a much larger mainstream audience.
Analysts expect Apple's entry to significantly increase competition in the foldable segment. Counterpoint estimates that Apple could capture around 25% of the foldable market, while Samsung is expected to hold approximately 38% this year.
That means Samsung may have to defend its position more aggressively than ever.
Apple's enormous global customer base could also introduce millions of consumers to foldable smartphones who have never seriously considered buying one.
In that sense, Apple's arrival could actually help the entire foldable industry.
Samsung and Apple Are Taking Different Approaches
The competition between the two companies is interesting because their strategies are very different.
Samsung has spent years improving the hardware through multiple generations. The company has experimented with different form factors, hinges, displays and software features.
Apple, meanwhile, has entered the market later and can benefit from the technology and lessons developed by companies that came before it.
That second-mover strategy could work in Apple's favor.
Apple can study the weaknesses of existing foldables and attempt to address them from the beginning rather than spending years fixing early-generation problems.
At the same time, Samsung has something Apple cannot immediately replicate: years of real-world experience with foldable devices.
Samsung Helped Build the Foldable Market
Samsung's biggest advantage may ultimately be its experience.
The company introduced its first mass-market foldable smartphone in 2019 and has continued developing the category ever since. It has now gone through multiple generations of Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip devices.
That experience has allowed Samsung to improve everything from hinge mechanisms and display technology to software multitasking and device durability.
Interestingly, Apple is also benefiting from the supply chain Samsung helped develop. Samsung Display is reportedly among the suppliers involved in producing foldable display components for Apple's device.
So while Samsung is teasing Apple for being late to foldables, the two companies are also connected through the broader supply chain that makes these devices possible.
The Foldable Phone Battle Is Just Beginning
Samsung's “Welcome to Foldables” campaign may look like a simple marketing joke, but the message behind it is serious.
Samsung wants consumers to remember that it was one of the companies that took foldable smartphones from an experimental concept to a commercial product. Apple may now have a foldable iPhone, but Samsung has already spent years refining the technology.
However, Apple entering the category could change the market dramatically.
The iPhone has an enormous global user base, and Apple's reputation for creating strong ecosystems could make foldable smartphones more mainstream. If the iPhone Duo becomes successful, Samsung will face greater pressure to continue improving its foldable devices rather than relying only on its first-mover advantage.
For consumers, that competition could be a good thing.
Samsung's experience could push Apple to improve its foldable hardware, while Apple's entry could force Samsung to innovate even faster. As the two companies compete on design, durability, software and price, foldable phones could finally move from a niche product category into the mainstream.
Final Thoughts
Samsung's message to Apple is simple: welcome to foldables — we've been here for years.
But Apple's arrival means the category is entering a new chapter.
Samsung has the experience, established product lineup and global foldable presence. Apple has the iPhone ecosystem, brand power and the ability to attract millions of customers who have never owned a foldable phone.
The real winner may ultimately be the consumer.
After years of Samsung, Huawei and other manufacturers developing foldable technology, Apple's entry could turn the foldable smartphone from an interesting alternative into one of the industry's biggest battlegrounds.
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