Motorola's unexpected rise proves that Samsung's foldable strategy is wrong (but can be fixed)
Samsung might not be able to hold Motorola off for a very long time in the US foldable market if the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lineups aren't expanded in a key way.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Everybody knows (or at least can reasonably suspect) who the number one foldable smartphone vendor in the US is, but what you may not have realized until just a few days ago is how close Motorola has recently gotten to stealing Samsung's crown away.
What's perhaps even more concerning for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 makers is that their US foldable market share is expected to decline both at the end of 2025 compared to 2024 and in 2026 compared to this year. In contrast, Motorola's numbers in the region have apparently exploded in 2025 before curiously being predicted to dip next year.
So what exactly is Samsung doing wrong?
I've got five words for you: Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. Well, technically, that's four words and one number. Or five words and a number if we consider the handset's full "Galaxy Z Flip 7 Fan Edition" name.
The Z Flip 7 FE was inexplicably set up to fail, and I'm not ready to forgive Samsung for that yet. | Image Credit -- Samsung
In any case, that's the product I blame for Samsung's inability to keep Motorola at bay right now. And yes, I know what you're going to say. The Z Flip 7 FE was never expected to sell like hotcakes, and that's precisely my issue with Samsung's current foldable strategy.
The device that should have made Galaxy foldables friendlier for the masses was set up to fail right off the bat at an excessive retail price of $900 and up, and for some reason, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 Fan Edition is no longer available through its manufacturer's official US website in any storage variant or color option.
Are you rooting for Samsung or Motorola to win the US foldable battle?
Samsung all the way!
15.63%
Motorola for the win!
43.75%
Why not Google?
9.38%
I'm waiting for Apple to crush everyone else
9.38%
I don't really care about sales charts
21.88%
It's like Samsung isn't even trying to hide its disinterest in making foldable devices affordable anymore, investing precious resources in experimental (and super-costly) tri-fold models rather than acknowledging the threat of Motorola's Razr (2025) and Razr Plus (2025).
What should Samsung do ASAP?
Release a Galaxy Z Fold Fan Edition, replenish the Z Flip 7 FE stock, and price the two in accordance with the desires and budgetary restrictions of the vast majority of potential buyers.
Do I realistically expect any of that to happen anytime soon? Obviously not, and as usual with Samsung, the main reason is that the company seems to obsessively follow Apple's behind-the-scenes work on future products to try to stay one step ahead of said arch-rival at all times.
Am I the only one dreaming of a budget-friendly version of the ultra-high-end Galaxy Z Fold 7? | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Be honest, would you give the Razr (2025) a second thought if the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE was priced a little closer to its real value? I think not, and that shouldn't be interpreted as a criticism of Motorola's objectively great 2025 foldable lineup. I simply think Motorola's success is closely connected to Samsung's failure of understanding or capitalizing on the needs of real-world consumers, which is in turn caused by paying too much attention to what Apple is (reportedly) doing.
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Far less talked about than the Galaxy S25 Edge, I believe the Z Flip 7 FE is just as big of a flop and a disappointment (if not bigger), although unlike ultra-thin Android flagships, budget-friendly foldables are definitely not DOA.
Will Motorola beat Samsung next year?
While I generally tend to avoid disputing forecasts made by market research firms as reputable as Counterpoint Research, the truth is analysts are often just as wrong as I am about these sorts of things.
You know what, I'm not buying this forecast, at least as far as Motorola is concerned.
That makes me (relatively) confident in predicting (strictly based on my gut) that Motorola's US foldable sales will be steady at worst and booming at best in 2026. I'm not necessarily expecting Samsung to lose its regional throne, but let's just say I wouldn't be shocked if that does end up happening, especially if the company continues to stubbornly keep its prices high.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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