Samsung's new Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 have genuinely cool form factors and are ready for the masses. They have a level of innovation, a distinct physical newness, that the iPhone can't match. The question now is whether they can slow Apple's cultural juggernaut here in the US.
We review a ton of different companies' phones here at PCMag. But the fact is, the high end of the US phone market is a two-horse race between Samsung and Apple, and it has been for years. According to Wave7 Research, in June 2021, Samsung controlled 29–33% of postpaid sales (the most common way expensive phones are purchased) at the three major carriers, and Apple controlled 58–69%.
With smartphones at saturation level here in the US, the two teams are fighting for switchers. But Apple's brand image is bulletproof among many younger, higher-income consumers. Piper Sandler's Taking Stock of Teens study looks at the shopping habits of wealthy young people. Among those kids, there's an 88% iPhone uptake rate, and 90% expect an iPhone to be their next phone.
Samsung's new Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 phones are a two-pronged assault on Apple's dominance in that demographic. At a basic psychological level, a slab smartphone is a slab smartphone. The various models have different functions and features and cameras (which is why I have a job explaining those differences), but they are fundamentally the same object. A flipping or folding phone makes a recognizably different statement about its owner. Samsung's counting on that to catch the eye of image-conscious iPhone fans.
Like what you're reading? You'll love it delivered to your inbox weekly. Sign up for the Race to 5G newsletterSign up for the Race to 5G newsletter.
These devices are the third generation of the Flip and the Fold, but they're the first that Samsung has seemed actually interested in selling. It's brought the Flip's price down to the level of other premium smartphones, and the Fold seems durable enough for prime time.
With the Flip, especially, Samsung is going all in on fashion, with an array of cute cases and a partnership with the K-pop megagroup BTS. The Fold is much more about getting things done, challenging Apple in the key productivity realm of multitasking.
But can capability and coolness overcome the staggering power of iMessage, Apple's software ecosystem, and Apple's reputation for putting the consumer first? The fashion-forward folk whom Samsung directly targets with the Z Flip are the ones most likely to reject out of hand any phone that gives them a green bubble in a chat with their friends, doesn't have the iPhone 12's portrait camera lenses, and forces them to go into a carrier store (eww) rather than to a Genius Bar. The Fold may have more of a chance to make it into the hands of the captains (and wannabe captains) of digital industry, but in technorati circles, waving around an iPhone is often a powerful signifier of class.
Is there anything Samsung can do to beat Apple at its own game? Tell me in the comments.
What Else Happened This Week?
- I've started looking at the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3, of course, and will have full reviews next week. One slightly annoying fact: they are both single-SIM phones in the US, though they have multiple SIMs abroad. Blame our carriers.
- T-Mobile is selling fiber internet service in a few buildings in Manhattan. This appears to be an experiment to see whether the carrier's marketing chops can help enterprise fiber providers break into the residential market. If it plays this game right, T-Mobile could become an ISP competitor in areas too dense for its 5G home internet service.
- Speaking of T-Mobile, the fight between T-Mobile and Dish over Boost has gotten messier and now involves the Department of Justice. T-Mobile wants to turn off Sprint's old 3G network and suggests Dish should buy Boost customers new phones to replace old 3G ones. Dish says no.
- Cox Communications is being a vaguely threatening bully in Tucson, where the city has started to run its own wireless network. Cox's emails to city councilmembers seem innocuous, but it's not hard to read between the lines.