By Charles Kim, President of Samsung Malaysia Electronics
Foldable smartphones were often thought of as not much more than a niche category. That was years ago. This year, we are seeing a drastic change.
As more major technology brands enter the foldables scene, the sentiment should not be apprehension. In fact, for Samsung, which introduced its first Galaxy Fold in 2019, I see it is a sign that an idea we had early on is becoming increasingly relevant to the wider mobile industry.
This is good news, because as more brands enter a category, awareness grows. More people begin to understand what foldable technology is, what it can do, and perhaps most importantly, why they might want one.
The shift from “Does a phone fold?” to “Why do I need a foldable?”
The future of foldables should be about letting people decide for themselves why a foldable phone makes sense for the way they live.
For some, it may be about having a larger canvas such as the Galaxy Z Fold8’s 4:3 screen for watching, reading or gaming with the convenience of folding that canvas into a pocketable form factor.
For others, it may be about productivity and multitasking on an all-in-one device like the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. It could also be the compactness of a flip phone like the Galaxy Z Flip8, or simply having a device that enables new ways to create content.
We are now witnessing a transition with foldables moving from something people noticed to something people actually consider for themselves. From curiosity to consideration Malaysia is a particularly interesting market in this regard.
The latest national data on information and communications technology shows that mobile phone usage among individuals reached 99.6% in 2025, while internet usage reached 98.3% .
Malaysians are already deeply accustomed to using mobile technology across work, entertainment, communication and everyday life. When virtually everyone is already carrying a smartphone, it creates an important opportunity for new form factors, and raises the question of whether a different kind of phone can meaningfully improve the way someone uses it.
We have seen this evolution in our own consumer market insights. Samsung’s 2024 post-launch research across Southeast Asia and Oceania, including 300 Malaysian respondents, found strong purchase interest in the Galaxy Z series among younger consumers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, with foldables being associated with productivity, creativity and photography.
That is a great takeaway – people do not perceive foldables as technological curiosities anymore. They are beginning to really consider what foldables can do for their lives.
With more brands entering the category, that consideration will become even more common.
