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Android chief praises Galaxy Z Fold 8, says Apple is late to foldable party
Android president welcomed Apple’s entry into the foldable segment and expressed his love for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.
In a recent conversation with Tom’s Guide, Sameer Samat, Google’s president of the Android Ecosystem, discussed Apple’s arrival and his experience with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 foldable smartphone.
Samat pointed out that foldable phones have been part of the Android ecosystem well before Apple entered the segment. Samat described it as evidence that the foldable form factor is becoming increasingly important.
Samsung launched its first Galaxy Fold in 2019, while several Android manufacturers have since experimented with different designs and software experiences.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 gets praise from Android’s chief
Samat specifically highlighted the Galaxy Z Fold 8, saying that he uses the device and finds it useful for getting work done before moving to a laptop.
Interestingly, Google’s Android chief does not appear to view Apple’s foldable arrival as something that necessarily hurts Android manufacturers.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 already supports split-screen and multi-window experiences, while Samsung and Google have spent years encouraging developers to build experiences suited to foldable displays.
Apple arriving late does not mean its entry will be irrelevant. Its enormous installed base could introduce foldable phones to consumers who have ignored Android foldables until now.
For Samsung, meanwhile, the challenge moves beyond proving that foldables work. The company now has to keep improving hardware, software, and developer support as Apple enters the same category.
With the Galaxy Z Fold 8 already representing Samsung’s eighth-generation Fold hardware, Apple’s first attempt gives the industry a new benchmark to watch.
