Samsung Electronics has acknowledged that dropping built-in S Pen support from the newly introduced Galaxy Z Fold 7 was a deliberate “trade-off” to achieve the device’s thinner 8.9-millimetre profile. MX managing director Kang Min-seok told South Korea’s ET News that the company is developing a slimmer stylus and related display technology and will reinstate S Pen functionality in future Fold models once it meets internal performance targets and consumer demand. Separately, Apple is expected to rely on Samsung Display for the crease-free inner screen of its first foldable iPhone, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The panel will incorporate a Fine M-Tec metal plate that diffuses stress along the hinge, a design Apple has selected over its own prototype to keep mass production on track for the second half of 2026. Kuo says the move should allow Apple to launch the device alongside the iPhone 18 line, with industry sources pegging the handset’s price in the US$1,800-to-US$2,000 range. The two developments highlight divergent priorities in the maturing foldable market: Samsung is sacrificing some features for slimmer hardware while exploring next-generation stylus technology, whereas Apple is betting on a crease-free display to differentiate its long-delayed entry. Analysts expect Apple’s arrival to broaden consumer interest and reinforce current premium price points, intensifying competition just as Samsung prepares the next iteration of its Fold series.