Samsung and Apple Leave Joint Flip Phone Half-Open Over Hinge Dispute

Samsung and Apple launched their joint flip phone at Galaxy Unpacked 2026, placing it beside Samsung’s separate Galaxy Z Flip7, the earlier model from the company’s own foldable line. The shared handset occupied the center of the podium.

During the first demonstration, the presenter opened the phone halfway and the hinge stopped. Samsung classified the position as a Galaxy state; Apple classified it as an iPhone state. The presenter kept both hands on the device while the launch team reviewed which logo had jurisdiction over the angle.

The companies then issued a temporary rule: Samsung governs the phone before the fold, and Apple governs it after the fold. The hinge was designated the boundary, giving the handset two authorities and no authority during the instant it crossed between them.

A customer asked which company would handle a problem during that crossing. A Samsung representative and an Apple representative pointed to the hinge without looking at each other. The customer received a card directing complaints to the side of the phone currently facing the ceiling.

Samsung and Apple agreed that closing the phone would establish precedent, so neither representative touched it. The handset remained half-open on the podium as the launch continued around the unresolved hinge.