Apple's long-awaited foldable iPhone is expected to arrive without the usual fold on the screen. However, it won't be the first smartphone with such a design, as Ming-Chi Kuo says Samsung will be the first to do so with the release of the Galaxy Fold8.
He cites a statement from Fine M-Tec, which announced an investment of 17.5 billion Korean won (~$12 million) to support the growing market for foldable devices and the growing demand for high-precision laser technology.
Kuo notes that Samsung is looking to make the Galaxy Fold8 more competitive in the face of the expected launch of a foldable iPhone that could be cheaper than the Galaxy Fold7. To stay ahead of its competition, Samsung is planning to equip the Galaxy Fold8 with a screen without a visible crease. The new product is expected to be introduced in the summer of 2026 — potentially earlier than the foldable iPhone.
The smartphones will use metal display plates with a higher average density under pressure, which will be manufactured using laser drilling. Fine M-Tec is the exclusive supplier of such plates.
Kuo also emphasizes that Fine M-Tec's investment confirms his previous assumptions: Apple's stricter requirements for the absence of creases on the iPhone screen will stimulate the faster adoption of laser drilling in the production of metal plates for displays.