Competition in the foldable smartphone market is intensifying as Huawei, Xiaomi, and Apple roll out or prepare next-generation foldable phones, each taking a different design path. The three brands are battling over screen size, body thickness, battery life, chips, and AI features.

Apple's latest iPhone launch could reshape premium phone demand, but the bigger question is whether the company can answer growing AI competition. While the new foldable iPhone drew the most attention, investors and channel players are watching pricing, repair costs, and Apple's dependence on Google-backed AI more closely.

Apple's foldable iPhone Duo could reshape the global smartphone market, pushing Android brands to move faster on foldable handsets and camera innovation. Suppliers said the launch may revive competition in a niche still dominated by Android, while underscoring the technical limits, pricing pressure, and profit opportunities facing module makers worldwide.

China's next-generation communications push is beginning to reveal a broader ambition than simply putting faster wireless connections into future smartphones.

Apple's expected first foldable iPhone is set to channel a significant share of its component value to South Korean suppliers, with Samsung Display (SDC), LG Innotek, Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco), Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix securing positions across displays, cameras, substrates, passive components, and memory.