Samsung's Tri-Fold is proof that it delivers what Apple won't dare try

Apple's ecosystem is the stuff of legends. The company has meticulously built its walled garden brick by brick, bringing people in with its devices and keeping them in with its incredible suite of services that range from music and TV streaming to news and gaming.

It's tough to beat that. Few have tried and none have really succeeded at that level, so you don't really find any example of a similar walled garden. Google's Android platform has a different ethos so it couldn't really replicate what Apple has achieved here.

This ecosystem brings in an incredible amount of money for Apple, so much so that it probably doesn't feel the need to push the envelope on hardware anymore, at least not as much as it did in the past. It can take its time, wait for new technologies and trends to mature before diving in.

There's no finer example of this go slow approach than the lack of a foldable iPhone, even while Samsung's enter their seventh generation. Samsung's renewed focus on hardware excellence is meant to lay this reality out for everyone to see.

The spectacular success it has achieved with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 this year is proof of that. It made significant changes to the phone, enough to grab the attention of even the most loyal of Apple fans, even enticing many of them to finally make the switch.

They've waited patiently for a foldable iPhone while Samsung users get a new one every year. There comes a time even when the most loyal of fans start to question the decisions being made.

Having conquered the conventional foldable phone domain, Samsung now has its sights sets on the future of this form factor, which is the tri-fold. The company is set to show off its first tri-fold phone later this week and images have already leaked online, following months of rumors about the device.

This is Samsung stamping its authority on the segment, particularly in regard to Apple, laying it out for the world to see that it creates and delivers what Apple won't dare try. The tri-fold isn't just a product, it's a proof of capability. It tells the world that while Apple sells continuity, Samsung sells novelty.

It cements the company's reputation as a hardware pioneer, one that paves the way forward to shake the smartphone market out of stagnancy through new products and form factors. The message from is clear, it's the brand that makes the future feel tangible.

The hardware blitzkrieg Samsung has been on this year has sucked up the limelight, putting its innovations in stark contrast to Apple which has only launched the customary new iterations of its existing products.

Samsung started the slim phone hype this year with the Galaxy S25 Edge, launched the world's thinnest foldable phone, unveiled an extended reality headset, confirmed that it's working on smart glasses, and is now on track to showcase its first tri-fold phone.

It's now well entrenched in categories that Apple hasn't even entered yet, has demonstrated strong capability in competing with Apple in the headset segment, and is now firmly in the driver's seat to control the narrative about the future of these emerging technologies.

Whether it likes it or not, Samsung gets compared with Apple. Their products are pitted against each other by loyal fanbases on both sides. As the conversation now shifts beyond the rectangle to what the next chapter of personal technology will be, Samsung is making sure that it positions itself as the author, not a spectator.