[London (UK) = E-Daily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] Roh Tae-moon, CEO of SamsungElectronics and Head of the DX Division (President), has stated that he welcomes competitors’ entry into the foldable smartphone market. While noting that an increase in market participants signifies that foldables are moving beyond being niche products to become mainstream smartphones, he expressed confidence that competitors would find it difficult to catch up in the short term to the technological capabilities and user experience data SamsungElectronics has accumulated over the past seven years.

SamsungElectronics(005930)This year, for the first time, Samsung is strengthening its push into the foldable market by unveiling a three-model lineup consisting of the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8. The company plans to expand new demand with the Fold8, which features a new aspect ratio, and aims to achieve the highest-ever sales volume for the Z series this year.

At a press conference held immediately following “Galaxy Unpacked 2026” in London, UK, on the 22nd (local time), CEO Roh commented on competitors’ entry into the foldable market, stating, “Foldables are entering a mature phase, both technologically and in terms of the market,” and added, “More companies will enter this mature market, and we welcome that.”

He explained, “This is because we believe foldables have become mainstream and the market will continue to grow,” but emphasized, “The technology and understanding of customers we’ve built up over the seven years since we first introduced foldable smartphones cannot be matched overnight.”

Since launching its first Galaxy Fold in 2019, SamsungElectronics has introduced foldable devices across eight generations. The competitive advantages highlighted by CEO Roh included durability—allowing the device to remain functional even after hundreds of thousands of folds—product refinement, One UI tailored to foldable screens, optimization for third-party applications, and data on actual customer usage patterns.

This is interpreted as confidence that even if latecomers improve hardware quality—such as thickness and weight—SamsungElectronics can differentiate itself through software optimized for foldables, its app ecosystem, and AI experiences. The company also assesses that market interest has shifted from “does it fold?” to “what experience does it provide when folded?”

SamsungElectronics has divided this year’s foldable demand into three categories. The Fold 8 Ultra targets customers seeking a large screen for productivity, content creation, and high-performance cameras. The Fold 8 features a short, wide screen with an aspect ratio close to 4:3, focusing on video, e-books, and web content consumption. The Flip 8 is designed for customers who prioritize portability and design.

CEO Noh stated, “This is the first year we are unveiling all three models of our complete foldable lineup,” adding, “With the Fold 8 driving new demand, we are aiming for the Z Series to achieve the highest sales of any foldable model to date this year.”

SamsungElectronics’ domestic pre-sales of foldable phones, on a weekly basis, increased from approximately 920,000 units for the Fold 3 and Flip 3 in 2021 to about 970,000 units for the Fold 4 and Flip 4 in 2022, and to 1.02 million units for the Fold 5 and Flip 5 in 2023. Although pre-sales for the 2024 Fold 6 and Flip 6 dropped to approximately 910,000 units, last year’s Fold 7 and Flip 7 set a new all-time high with 1.04 million units.

This year, the company has added the Fold 8 to its existing two-pillar lineup, which previously consisted of the Flip and the large-screen Fold. The strategy is to position products with different prices, screen sizes, and use cases between the Flip 8 and the Fold 8 Ultra to capture both replacement demand from existing foldable owners and new customers. It remains to be seen whether domestic pre-sales will exceed last year’s record of 1.04 million units.

SamsungElectronics has identified AI as the next competitive frontier for foldables. CEO Roh announced plans to expand the number of devices supporting Galaxy AI to 800 million within this year, including software upgrades for existing products. This figure does not represent this year’s sales target but rather the cumulative number of supported devices, including existing smartphones and tablets that meet the hardware requirements for Galaxy AI.

The AI models combine external models—such as Samsung’s Gauss, Bixby, Google’s Gemini, and Plexicity—based on specific functions. CEO Roh explained that Gauss has a relative advantage for Samsung’s proprietary features and services, while Gemini is stronger in areas linked to Google services. Samsung also plans to evaluate external models, including Plexicity, to apply the most suitable AI for each function and service.

The company will also continue its hybrid strategy, using on-device AI for functions where privacy and fast processing are critical, and cloud AI for tasks requiring large-scale computations. Rather than sticking to a single specific model, Samsung explained that it will select the AI best suited to the service and usage scenario.

In response to questions regarding new product release cycles, the company stated that it would take the characteristics of each product into account. Rather than mechanically releasing a new Galaxy Ring 2 every year, the company plans to unveil it only when innovations that consumers can truly experience are ready. Regarding pricing, while the company aims to maintain maximum competitiveness in the Korean market, it left open the possibility of partially reflecting cost increases—which cannot be absorbed through supply chain efficiency—in the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

SamsungElectronics is also positioning robotics as its next growth business. The company plans to translate its ongoing R&D and investments into full-scale commercialization, centered around the Robot Experience (RX) Business Division, which reports directly to the CEO.

CEO Noh explained, “We established the Robot Experience (RX) Business Division, which reports directly to the CEO, to more actively commercialize the advanced development and investments we’ve been conducting in the robotics field,” adding, “This is a measure to strengthen future growth areas within the DX division.”