Samsung just won CES 2026. If you ask me, all the other vendors and tech makers can try again next year, because nothing else at this year’s CES is going to be quite as cool as Samsung’s creaseless folding OLED display.
Rewind: what does any of that mean? To put it simply, Samsung has developed a folding display that forms a completely smooth surface when unfolded. Up until now, folding displays have always had a crease – sometimes deep, sometimes minimal – at the point they fold over. It’s long been seen as a necessary compromise, an acceptable price for the expansive screen space a folding phone offers.
Samsung’s new display – though still very much a tech demo, and not yet fitted to any announced or available handsets – basically solves the problem. No more creases – just a smooth cover display that unfolds to a smooth inner display. One less compromise for the avant-garde phone user.
If you’re anything like me, this immediately makes you think of the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8, or even a successor to the Galaxy Z Trifold due to hit US shelves this year. It certainly makes sense that a development like this from Samsung Display would be of most benefit to Samsung’s mobile division – right?
In reality things aren’t so simple. Though Samsung technically owns Samsung Display, it and the company’s mobile business are separate entities able to make and manage their own dealings. This is how Samsung ends up supplying displays for the iPhone, its main rival in the mobile space (let’s put a pin in that thought).
Back to the new creaseless folding display – while it’s very likely that we’ll see some version of this technology deployed in future Samsung folding phones, there’s no guarantee that Galaxy phones will get the upgrade before another brand.
In fact, recent rumors from multiple sources point to this being the case – the current consensus of the tech rumor mill seems to be that the long-awaited foldable iPhone could sport this new Samsung panel.
And, in spite of analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s suggestion that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 could get new display tech too (via MacRumors), I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it makes more sense for the iPhone Fold to get Samsung’s creaseless folding display before any other phone.
It might seem a bit odd, but I think this is ultimately a decision that would benefit Samsung’s mobile division in the long run. Let me explain.
Firstly, Samsung is seemingly in a bit of a jam when it comes to mobile pricing right now, a likely consequence of global instability, American tariffs, and AI’s squeeze on component pricing.
I recently covered rumors that the Galaxy S26 series might not get any serious camera upgrades in an effort to keep costs down, but subsequent tips hint at price rises anyway. When it comes to foldables specifically, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 got a price hike compared to its predecessor, and in the US it’s just a cent away from the $2,000 mark.
But why listen to rumors, when Samsung has outright said that product repricing is under consideration? At CES, Global marketing leader Wonjin Lee told Bloomberg (via Engadget): “we don’t want to convey that burden to the consumers, but we’re going to be at a point where we have to actually consider repricing our products”
New displays are nice, but it’s not hard to imagine that equipping the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with such a new and advanced technology could trigger a price hike, especially when we consider market pressures and Samsung’s stated consideration of such a move. That’s still very much speculation, but all of this puts me on edge.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is already the most expensive widely available folding phone, so I think Samsung would be well advised to play it cool at the checkout this year. Additionally, we predict that the upcoming Galaxy Z Trifold will launch at a price of around $2,799 / £2,799 / AU$6,000, which is simply out of reach for most customers, so I’m keen for Samsung to think about price accessibility when it comes to its iconic bi-fold handset.
That $2,000 barrier for bi-fold phones is going to break eventually, but Cupertino is a much better candidate to lead the charge. Apple is already synonymous with high prices, and so users are primed to accept a very expensive folding phone from the brand. And should there be any technical issues with the new display – as there can be with any new technology – Apple would have to manage or at least share the PR fallout, rather than Samsung dealing with it on its own.
Again, all of this is pretty speculative, but I think there’s a path here that benefits Samsung in the long run, even if it means missing out on some of the limelight. Naturally, if Samsung can equip its next folding phone with this advanced new panel without incurring a price hike, then I’d be all for it – I just think the current climate makes that unlikely. We’ll be testing each new Samsung and Apple phone that makes it onto shelves, so be sure to keep an eye on our guides to the best Samsung Galaxy phones and best iPhones for the latest new models.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
