Numbers don’t lie: Galaxy Z Fold 7 proved what we always knew

The simple fact of the matter is that consumers will always opt for more “trustworthy” brands, especially if it’s a very expensive product that they’re buying. Chinese foldable phones — like the new Honor Magic V5 — are excellent devices, but their silicon batteries aren’t nearly as durable as the battery on the Fold 7. Many Chinese phone manufacturers don’t offer seven years of software support like Samsung either, though the aforementioned V5 does.

But most of all, brand recognition carries a lot of weight. If your average American consumer is interested in getting a foldable, they will consider Samsung and Google first. It doesn’t help that Chinese phones aren’t supported properly by carriers in the U.S.



What I’m trying to say is, people who wanted foldables were trapped. They wanted a name that they recognized, but didn’t want a foldable that looked ancient compared to the competition: as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 did. Then, Samsung swooped in with the Fold 7, and these people suddenly knew exactly what they wanted.

This effect was so pronounced that the Fold 7 is excelling in China as well, where domestic phones offer tough competition to Samsung.

Samsung could dominate the industry

Let’s be honest, the Galaxy S25 series is a very safe upgrade to the Galaxy S24. Samsung hasn’t innovated too much when it comes to its flagships, and yet they continue to sell like hot cakes.

But when the company actually, noticeably, improved upon one of its products, it skyrocketed in popularity. Imagine if Samsung continues this trend, and the Fold 8 is a big upgrade as well. Consumers would rush to buy it, in my opinion. Because it’s not that there isn’t demand for these phones, but that consumers are naturally a lot more cautious when shelling out thousands of Dollars.

Of course, the pre-order sales also help massively. Samsung has been promoting the Fold 7 like crazy, because it knows it’s got a winner on its hands.

We need this energy in the future

Samsung will need to continue approaching the smartphone industry this way. No more safe, marginal upgrades. The company has already, in many people’s eyes, made a mistake by removing Bluetooth from the S Pen. Its absence from the Fold 7 — though important for the slim form factor — has only increased fears that it’s going to be discontinued soon.

But Samsung cannot afford to do that, because it needs to stand out. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a strong competitor, and Apple — Samsung’s largest smartphone rival in the States — will likely release the foldable iPhone next year. If the Fold 8 is just a generic upgrade, then consumers have another trusted name to choose from in 2026.

Consumers know the brand Samsung Galaxy. They associate it with reliable devices (let’s not mention the Note 7) that are supported for years. Many users also swear by One UI, and won’t consider another foldable simply because of that reason.

It’s time for Samsung to use its name, not to sell mediocre upgrades, but phones that look like they were made by one of the top dogs of the entire industry.