The “On the Fence” ad pokes fun at the lack of a foldable iPhone, but Samsung says it expects Apple to launch its first foldable device in 2024.
Samsung released another addition to its occasional series of announcements taking shots at Apple for its lack of hardware innovation. Titled “On the Fence,” the 30-second clip encourages iPhone users to upgrade to Samsung’s foldable line instead of waiting for Apple to catch up.
However, the wait will not last forever. Reports suggest that Samsung expects Apple to release a foldable device in 2024, although it’s not a phone. It’s more likely a laptop or tablet.
Samsung’s “On the Fence” ad
The “On the Fence” ad was produced by Samsung US and posted on YouTube. It shows an iPhone user literally sitting on a fence, looking over to Samsung where he sees things like “folding phones and epic cameras.” When his fellow iPhone users explain that “we’re waiting for all of this to happen here,” he wonders why he should wait when the technology already exists.
“That’s what we do,” said one. “We are waiting.”
“On the Fence” is the latest in a long line of Samsung ads that gently poke fun at Apple for being slow to keep up with hardware trends. The strategy sometimes backfires, like when the company mocked the removal of the charger from the iPhone box, only to backtrack after doing the same.
But it’s arguably more appropriate than ever, given how similar the iPhone 14 is to the iPhone 13.
Which isn’t to say that Apple won’t eventually create a foldable device. The elect reports that in a recent meeting with vendors, Samsung said it expects Apple to launch its first foldable device in 2024. But the company doesn’t think it will be a phone, and it’s more likely it’s a tablet or even a laptop.
The tech giant also reported that South Korean iPhone users are switching to Samsung foldables at a rate three to four times higher than before. But he acknowledged improvements were still needed to make foldables truly mainstream, including making the devices lighter and thinner and reducing the crease on the screen.
Foldables continue to grow
Away from iOS, at least, foldables continue to become more mainstream and more popular. Among the latest devices to be widely launched is the Moto Razr 2022, which is now available in Europe, and compares well to the likes of the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
