Samsung Reportedly Rules Out New iPhone Air Rival, Tri-Fold Successor Amid Weak Demand

Samsung is said to be very cautious about exploring new form factors for its smartphones, while its rivals are already developing slimmer handsets and more innovative foldable designs. According to a report, a high-ranking official at the company has stated that Samsung is not planning to launch another direct iPhone Air competitor, given the poor sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge. It may also not work on a potential successor to the Galaxy Z TriFold, either.

No Commitment to iPhone Air Rival or Tri-Fold

According to a report by Bloomberg, Samsung Mobile COO Won-Joon Choi said the company is not committed to launching another ultra-thin handset specifically to rival Apple's iPhone Air. The official reportedly indicated that the South Korean tech conglomerate evaluates new product directions based on consumer demand and overall market viability rather than reacting directly to competitors.

For context, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was introduced in 2025 as an ultra-slim addition to the Galaxy S25 lineup and a competitor to the iPhone Air. Per reports, the production volume for the September to December 2025 period of the handset was in the low 300,000 units.

In comparison, the production volume for the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the standard Galaxy S25 during the same period was estimated to be around 3.4 million and 2.9 million units, respectively. Sales of the handset were reportedly low compared to its Galaxy S25 siblings, and consequently, it was dropped from the tech giant's latest Galaxy S26 lineup.

The report also mentioned that Samsung is not committing to a tri-fold smartphone at this time. The company has previously not only demonstrated advanced foldable display concepts, but also introduced one of the first commercially available tri-fold handsets, namely the Galaxy Z TriFold.

Choi, however, suggested that commercial decisions around more complex designs will depend on readiness, usability, and market response.

As per the official, the Privacy Display, which the company introduced with the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, was originally intended for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It was, however, delayed by a year due to unresolved technical challenges. “Our goal was to have this, to be honest with you, on the S25 Ultra,” Choi said. “We were almost there. But we had to kind of solve a couple of the last challenges. So we took another year to resolve those. It has been quite a journey.”

The Privacy Display, notably, is a new display technology built directly into the handset's screen. When enabled, the screen does not allow viewing from side angles, making it difficult for others to view what is being displayed on the screen.

Lastly, Choi also addressed the S-Pen stylus, which received limited attention during the Galaxy S26 launch, following downgrades last year, too. The official confirmed that Samsung is developing a next-generation S-Pen. “We're working on a more advanced technology within S-Pen to come up with a new structure of display, so the penalty of having S-Pen is diminished,” he said, adding that the S-Pen will continue to be one of Samsung's core technologies.