---
title: "Foldables are sort of boring now — and that’s great news for Apple"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/294606121.md"
description: "The article argues that the current stagnation in foldable smartphone innovation is beneficial for Apple. It traces the history of folding phones, noting that Royole launched the first commercial model, followed by Samsung's flawed Galaxy Fold debut. The piece suggests that the lack of excitement around these devices creates a favorable environment for Apple to enter the market."
datetime: "2026-08-02T12:06:42.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/294606121.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294606121.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/294606121.md)
---

# Foldables are sort of boring now — and that’s great news for Apple

_This is_ The Stepback_, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on smartphones and Android, follow Dominic Preston._ The Stepback _arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for_ The Stepback _here._

## How it started

Believe it or not, it didn't all start with Samsung. Royole, a now-bankrupt manufacturer of flexible displays, was the first to release a commercial folding phone, the "charmingly awful" FlexPai. Samsung's first Galaxy Fold followed a year later, plagued by a variety of faults that saw review units break within days. That launch went so badly that it prompted Chinese riva …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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