Samsung works to draw iPhone users to its foldables even as Apple enters the market

An attendee with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 smartphone at a Samsung Unpacked product launch event in London, UK, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Samsung Electronics Co. revamped its foldable phone lineup, introducing a new entertainment-focused model that will compete with Apple Inc.'s imminent entry into the market. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSamsung is hoping to capitalize on renewed interest in foldable phones, luring customers just as Apple enters the market.Globally, the share of iOS users switching to Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Fold8 series, launched in July, was 1.6 times that of the previous-generation Galaxy Z Fold7 and Flip7, a Samsung Electronics spokesperson told CNBC. Samsung pioneered the category with its first Galaxy Fold in 2019.Apple unveiled its first foldable iPhone at a Wednesday launch event, marking one of its first major product introductions under new CEO John Ternus. In the U.S., 30% of Galaxy Z Flip8 buyers switched from competing smartphone brands, with most of those customers buying a foldable phone for the first time, the company said. It added that Galaxy Z Fold8 shoppers were particularly dr...