In what’s easily one of the most ironic marketing gaffes of the year, Apple’s official Apple Support Weibo account in China accidentally posted a full promo video for Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 7. The clip, which runs about 2 minutes and 20 seconds, highlights the Flip 7’s One UI 8 interface and features — clearly not the intended content for an Apple-branded support post (Source: Ice Universe via 9to5Google).
When social media managers attack
The enemy of my enemy is my enemy (or something, IDK)
The original post was meant to explain how to use parental controls within the App Store. Instead, the wrong video was embedded, showcasing Samsung’s foldable phone. While the thumbnail itself looked appropriately Apple-themed (displaying the App Store interface), the video threw a wrench in all the design intentions.
This slip-up was first flagged by tipster PhoneArt (the X/Twitter leaker formerly known as Ice Universe), whose post quickly went viral with a short clip capturing the mistake. The Apple Support post was removed shortly afterward — though not before screenshots and recordings spread across social media.
So what caused it? The prevailing theory is that Apple in China may outsource its social media handling to a third-party agency that also works with Samsung. One employee might have grabbed the wrong video from a shared asset library and hit publish without verifying the content. Another suggestion is that it might have simply been a clipboard mix-up, where the previous entry was the Samsung link, not the intended Apple video. It could even have been an errant copy/paste originally intended for internal communication within a third-party firm. We’ll likely never know the full story.
A rare, unfortunate whoopsy-daisy
The timing couldn’t be more noticeable. Samsung now leads the foldable smartphone space, with the Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 making waves globally; Apple’s own foldable iPhone, reportedly a tablet-style device with a crease-free 7.8-inch inner panel and 5.5-inch outer display, is expected to arrive only in late 2026 as part of the iPhone 18 lineup (rumored to start around $1,999).
Having Apple inadvertently advertise one of Samsung’s flagship foldables is a public relations blooper that feels like it was scripted for laughs. Net users have joked about whether it was an inside prank, a rogue Samsung superfan, or just an honest mistake. Apple officials have remained silent so far, and will probably stay that way.
Regardless of how it happened, it’s a rare moment when Apple becomes an unwitting spokesbrand for its biggest rival. In a way, it highlights just how strong Samsung’s foldables have become. Maybe, if nothing else, Apple just helped boost Galaxy Z Flip 7 sales in the process.
