The launch of the new Samsung Twist ‘foldable tablet’ last year has proved to be a watershed in social connectivity, and the biggest loser turns out to be Twitter.

Samsung’s hardware was a paper-thin tablet that could be used like a large graphic screen when space allowed, or folded four ways to the size of a smart phone. Integrated in the operating system was a highly graphic voice-driven version of WhatsApp that created what analysts called “an Apple-like software design revolution” among users of social media.

“I LOOOOVE this new way of connecting to everyone I know – and it’s so exciting!” drools one user comment that seems to epitomize the game-like essence of this new social reality. Older users have found the interface to be “totally natural, quite intuitive.” You must be doing something right when you can capture the imagination across the whole generational spectrum.

But, the key differentiator turned out to be the way adverts could be selectively pushed into the background, yet more fully integrated into the user experience – something that had become the bane of Twitter users.

During the past year Twitter user numbers have halved and last month’s announcement of Samsung’s WhatsApp availability on all mobile platforms has precipitated an avalanche away from Twitter.

Today Twitter issued a profit warning and some analysts believe that they could file for Chapter 11 within months.