Samsung says interest in its foldables surged after Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo

Mobile | SmartphonesSamsung says interest in its foldables surged after Apple unveiled the iPhone DuoApple hasn’t even got its first foldable iPhone into everyone’s hands, but it may already be doing Samsung’s foldable business a favour.

Samsung has been folding phones for years, but it seems Apple may have done more to get people searching for them in a single month than Samsung could have hoped for. Pictured here is the Galaxy Z Fold8. Photo: HWZApple’s unveiling of the iPhone Duo last month reportedly sparked a surge in Google searches for rival Samsung’s foldable phones.

Chang, Corporate Vice President of Samsung’s Mobile Division in the UK, said Google searches for the company’s foldable phones jumped 300% in September alone.

He also claimed that “customer demand for the Galaxy Z Fold8 family has increased 16% since launch”, adding that Samsung’s “market leadership is stronger than ever”.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8 family in August, weeks before Apple’s iPhone Duo announcement. The Galaxy Z Fold8, in particular, features a passport-style design similar to that of Apple’s foldable.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 also appears to have made a strong impression in its home market. In South Korea, it reportedly accounted for nearly 70% of all pre-orders.

Apple’s stock shortage of the iPhone Duo could provide Samsung with another opportunity to attract interested buyers. Consumers facing long waits for Apple’s first foldable iPhone may be tempted to consider the Galaxy Z Fold8 instead, especially if they want to experience a passport-style foldable sooner.

Of course, a spike in search interest does not necessarily translate into sales, and Samsung’s figures do not establish how much of the increase was directly driven by Apple’s announcement. Still, if the iPhone Duo brings more mainstream attention to foldable phones, Samsung could stand to benefit from the buzz surrounding its biggest rival.