ActingHdofeviceeXperienceDivision, Pres, HdofMobileeXperience, Chief Executive OfficerofSmart Phone Div & Exec Director, Samsung
Samsung Strikes First Against Apple Foldables… "They Can't Catch Up to Our 7-Year Lead" / Korea E...
Samsung Electronics has unveiled a new foldable phone series and its first AI glasses. Samsung Electronics President Roh Tae ...
About Tae-moon Roh
At Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22, 2026, Roh Tae-moon unveiled the company’s latest foldable phone series and its first AI glasses. During the event, he stated that AI is becoming “infrastructure, the invisible backbone of our daily lives” and announced plans to bring Galaxy AI to more than 800 million devices within the year. He emphasized that trust is a design principle at Samsung, citing the Knox security platform and on-device AI as measures to keep user data under their control. In a subsequent interview, Roh welcomed Apple’s anticipated entry into the foldable phone market, saying, “In a mature market, more companies will enter. We welcome this.” He asserted that Samsung’s seven years of accumulated technology and customer understanding “cannot be caught up overnight” and that the company believes its Galaxy lineup is ahead. Roh also stated that Samsung is preparing to ensure supply and timing for Galaxy AI, calling the goal of providing it to 800 million users “the first step.”
Transcript (15 segments)
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Host0:01
Samsung Electronics is targeting the premium smartphone market with a new foldable product that changes the aspect ratio. Ahead of Apple's first foldable smartphone launch in September, it is an attempt to maintain its leadership. Attention is focused on whether it can protect profitability despite the steep rise in semiconductor prices. Yes, let's find out with industry reporter Kim Dae-hyun. Reporter Kim, compared to the previous model, the screen is wider. Is that the characteristic of this new product?
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Kim Dae-hyun0:26
Yes, that's right. Samsung Electronics has introduced a foldable phone similar in size to a passport for the first time. When unfolded, the screen ratio is 4:3. Let's take a look at the video.
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Host0:37
Yes.
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Kim Dae-hyun0:37
Yes, the product you see now is the Galaxy Fold 7. The key feature is that the horizontal length has increased compared to the previous model. When unfolded, you can use a 7.6-inch large screen. With the wider screen, it has become more convenient to enjoy content such as watching videos, reading, and gaming.
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Host0:54
The left and right sides have widened. Yes.
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Kim Dae-hyun0:56
The weight is 2011g, making it the lightest among all Fold products. Samsung Electronics has unveiled a total of three foldable phones this time: the Fold 7, Fold 8 Ultra, and Flip. In particular, screen creases are a chronic problem for foldable phones. The key is how well the crease is hidden when folding and unfolding. The Fold 8 Ultra and Fold 7 have applied the Flex Titanium technology for the first time. It is evaluated that it has improved to the point where it is difficult to notice the crease unless you touch it directly. Samsung Electronics also unveiled smart glass intelligent eyewear developed jointly with Google on this day.
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Host1:37
Yes. I think this change is significant because it comes ahead of Apple's foldable launch.
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Kim Dae-hyun1:43
Yes. First of all, Samsung Electronics President Tae-moon Roh also showed some confidence in this. He said he welcomes Apple's entry into the foldable phone market. Rather than checking competitors, he revealed confidence in the technology accumulated over seven years. Let's listen to President Roh's remarks directly.
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Tae-moon Roh2:01
In a mature market, more companies will enter. We welcome this. I believe that the technology and understanding of customers built over seven years cannot be caught up overnight. I think Samsung Galaxy is the most advanced.
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Kim Dae-hyun2:19
President Roh viewed it positively, saying that as more market participants enter, the foldable phone market will also grow. He emphasized that even if the hardware gap with competitors narrows a bit, Samsung can lead in user experience. He cited data accumulated over seven years, the One UI app ecosystem, and Galaxy AI as differentiated competitiveness. In fact, there is a forecast that Samsung Electronics can maintain its No. 1 position in the global foldable phone market this year. According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung's market share is expected to be 32% this year. However, that is a drop of 8 percentage points from last year. Second place is Apple, which has not yet released a foldable phone. As it is expected to take 25% market share from its first entry, the competition for the lead is expected to intensify.
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Host3:08
Yes. Recently, memory prices have risen so much that even Apple's Tim Cook has complained about the burden, hasn't he? Product prices have been raised for some products this time. The key question is whether they will sell well even at these high prices. Going forward.
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Kim Dae-hyun3:22
Yes, that's right. First, looking at the prices, domestic launch prices have been raised by 200,000 won each except for the Fold 7. Of course, specific sales targets were not disclosed. I spoke with industry sources, and Samsung Electronics shared its annual production plan for the Fold 7 with partners at 2.8 million units. The Fold 8 Ultra is reported at 2 million units, and the Flip 7 at 1.5 million units. President Roh also said that the goal is to achieve the highest sales among all foldable phones. Previously, Samsung Electronics sold 1.04 million units through pre-orders alone for the Galaxy Fold 7 and Flip last year, which was an all-time high. This year, with the Fold 7, they have expressed their ambition to surpass that record in just one year. In particular, Samsung Electronics plans to expand devices supporting Galaxy AI to 800 million units within this year.
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Tae-moon Roh4:18
We have been consulting for a long time to ensure there are no issues with supply volume or timing, and we are well prepared. Providing Galaxy AI to 800 million people within this year is the first step.
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Host4:33
But profitability remains a challenge. The DX division, which handles the finished product business, is expected to post a loss of around 1 trillion won in the second quarter. This is because cost burdens have increased due to the memory boom. Analysts say that second-half performance depends on the success of the new products.
Yes. We've heard about Samsung Electronics' new foldable product launch. That was Kim Dae-hyun, industry reporter. That's all.