Samsung put foldables on the map, now it’s dead in the water | Phones

Merely five years ago, the idea of a foldable smartphone was still one that was unbelievable to most people. But, now, we’re seeing the concept suffer from boring iteration, and that’s coming from the same brand that kickstarted the entire form factor. Samsung has lost its foldable ambition, and it’s now just putting a damper on the exciting category.

Back in 2019, Samsung launched the first Galaxy Fold. It was the first major brand to take a big risk in launching what was, at the time, a smartphone on the bleeding edge. And, for a while, Samsung continued to lead the category with that head start. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 pushed the form factor into the general design we expect today, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 ushered in better durability through the addition of water resistance. And, alongside those devices, Samsung also quickly delivered a second form factor in the Galaxy Z Flip which rapidly exploded in popularity.

Truly, Samsung was doing innovative things,…