South Korean technology company Samsung Electronics has unveiled its latest foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7, which come with multimodal artificial intelligence capabilities, as the company aims to grab a bigger slice of the highly competitive smartphone market.

The AI-powered Galaxy Z Fold7 serves as a tablet when fully opened and becomes a phone when closed, while the Galaxy Z Flip7 can fold into the size of a wallet and fit in most people's pockets or bags.

TM Roh, president and acting head of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics, said the next chapter of foldables brings together design and engineering, with AI built specifically for the foldable form.

The global foldable smartphone market experienced modest growth in 2024, with shipments rising 2.9 percent year-over-year, according to a report from market consultancy Counterpoint Research. Samsung maintained its lead in the foldable smartphone sector, capturing 45 percent of the total share. 

AI has quickly become part of the smartphone discussion, sparking new interest in next-generation AI experiences on a handheld device.

According to Counterpoint, global shipments of AI-powered smartphones will surpass 550 million units in 2027, and the hardware specifications of such devices will likely evolve as the technology advances.