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Samsung unveils slimmer foldable phones to counter Chinese rivals and boost AI leadership

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Samsung Electronics on Wednesday revealed thinner and lighter foldable smartphones as it seeks to defend its premium segment against growing Chinese competition from Huawei and Honor, while Apple has yet to enter this niche market.

Having lost its global smartphone crown to Apple in 2023, Samsung is pushing to regain momentum by integrating AI features into its foldable devices. Mobile President and COO Choi Won-joon highlighted foldables combined with AI as poised to go mainstream, offering users a unique and differentiated experience. Samsung aims to lead in AI-powered smartphones by collaborating with partners like Google, contrasting Apple’s in-house AI approach that has faced delays.

Alongside the foldables, Samsung launched its first smartwatches featuring Google’s AI voice assistant Gemini, which offers personalized recommendations such as running locations.

Samsung’s premium strategy continues amid U.S. tariffs that could raise costs. The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 10% lighter and 26% thinner than the Fold 6 and priced 5% higher at $1,999. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE offers a more affordable option at $899. The Fold 7 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, while the Flip 7 runs on Samsung’s own Exynos processors.

Analysts say the new models address bulkiness concerns and strengthen Samsung’s premium brand image. However, foldables remain niche with just 1.5% market share globally. Research firm Canalys expects foldable shipments to stay flat or slightly decline in 2025, with Samsung’s foldables accounting for 4% of total phone sales but 16% of sales over $800. Samsung’s dominance is challenged by strong Chinese sales, especially in China.

Samsung will focus foldable sales on the U.S., Europe, and South Korea. The company is also developing a tri-fold phone to launch by year-end, allowing users to fold the device three ways.

To prepare for U.S. tariffs, Samsung accelerated production and shipments destined for the U.S., manufacturing primarily in Vietnam, South Korea, and India. It is also mitigating China’s rare earth export restrictions by diversifying suppliers and increasing internal stockpiles.

Honor Magic 8 Pro May Launch With Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 ‘Elite’ Chipset and Triple Camera System

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Honor Magic 8 Pro Rumored to Feature Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Chip and Upgraded Triple Camera Setup

Following the launch of the Honor Magic 7 Pro in China last October and its subsequent release in European markets earlier this year, Honor appears to be preparing for its next flagship entry—the Magic 8 Pro. Although an official announcement is yet to be made, early leaks suggest the device may debut around October 2025, continuing the company’s annual release pattern. Despite the lack of confirmation, the rumor mill is already providing insight into what we might expect from this highly anticipated smartphone.

According to a recent post by tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo, an upcoming Honor device—presumed to be the Magic 8 Pro—is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset. This new SoC is anticipated to launch later this year as a successor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, positioning it as one of the most powerful processors available in Android smartphones by the time the Magic 8 Pro hits the market.

Camera upgrades are also in the spotlight. The Magic 8 Pro is rumored to include a triple rear camera setup, led by a 50-megapixel OV50Q main sensor with a 1/1.3-inch size and LOFIC technology aimed at enhancing dynamic range. It could be paired with a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera. This new configuration is said to improve frame transitions and power efficiency, suggesting that Honor is not only focused on performance but also on optimizing energy use for camera-intensive tasks.

For context, the Honor Magic 7 Pro currently sports a similar triple-lens system with a 50-megapixel main sensor and a 200-megapixel periscope unit capable of 100x digital zoom. The expected changes in the Magic 8 Pro signal iterative, yet meaningful upgrades to both hardware and imaging capabilities. With the previous model priced at EUR 1,099.99 (roughly Rs. 97,000) in Europe for the 12GB + 512GB variant, the Magic 8 Pro may fall within a similar premium price range once officially launched.

iPhone 17 Could Debut With 12GB RAM, iPhone 18 Expected to Bring Further Memory Upgrades

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iPhone 17 Series Tipped to Feature 12GB RAM, iPhone 18 May Introduce Advanced Memory Tech

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 lineup is rumored to receive a notable boost in memory, with reports suggesting that all variants could ship with 12GB of RAM. This would mark a significant upgrade over the iPhone 16 models, which currently offer 8GB. The iPhone 17 series is expected to include four models—standard, Air, Pro, and Pro Max—and could make its debut later this year.

According to a leak shared by tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the increased memory is intended to support Apple Intelligence and other AI-powered features that may debut with the new lineup. These tools are expected to require more processing resources, making the jump to 12GB of RAM a strategic move to ensure smooth performance across models. This would also align Apple more closely with Android competitors that have already adopted higher RAM capacities.

The report adds that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will likely be powered by the A19 Pro chipset, built on TSMC’s advanced 3nm process. This next-generation chip, paired with the larger RAM, is expected to outperform the current A18 Pro SoC used in the iPhone 16 Pro models. Meanwhile, early details about the iPhone 18 series suggest even greater memory improvements, with support for six-channel LPDDR5X memory, which could translate to faster speeds and more efficient multitasking.

These leaks follow a recent prediction from TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who stated that Apple may standardize 12GB of RAM across the entire iPhone 17 lineup. He also echoed the expectation that the iPhone 18 series will fully embrace the memory upgrade, potentially making 12GB the new baseline across all models. If these predictions hold true, Apple’s future smartphones could be significantly more capable in handling AI, gaming, and intensive multitasking scenarios.