iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8: The New Foldable Champion

Published Sep 13, 2026, 6:30 AM EDT Jon is a seasoned journalist who has written definitive coverage of consumer tech at publications like Engadget, Android Authority, and BetaKit. He's an expert on making tech accessible ranging from mobile and PCs to emerging platforms like wearables. When he's not writing, he's going on adventures with ihis family and is an avid photographer. Samsung is the reigning champion of foldable phones for a reason: it pushes the category forward with strong designs. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is one of my favorite folding phones of all time, and it helped popularize the passport-style shape that's quickly taking over the mobile world. And yet Apple just upstaged Samsung with its first foldable, the iPhone Duo. It's worse in some respects, but it includes thoughtful design and interface decisions that, frankly, should embarrass Samsung — the latecomer is teaching the pioneer some lessons. Pen input still matters, Samsung Samsung threw away an advantage Samsung dropped S Pen support with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to slim it down. And yes, the Z Fold 8 series is thinner than the iPhone Duo at as little as 0.16 inches when open (for the Ultra) versus the Duo's 0.21 inches. That's useful if you have tight pockets or just want a folding phone that's as sleek as the conventional kind. However, it's telling that Apple still managed to fit in support for its USB-C Pencil while keeping the Duo reasonably thin. There's no slot or magnetic connector for the stylus, but at least you have a pen option in the first place. If you want to use your phone for handwritten notes or sketches, an iPhone is now the go-to pick. Why buy an iPad mini when you can get a similar experience in your pocket? That's not hyperbole, as the stylus-equipped alternatives aren't as widely available. The Motorola Razr Fold can be difficult to get (T-Mobile is the only U.S. carrier to sell it), and Chinese models like the Oppo Find N6 are limited to at-your-own-risk imports in North America. For now, Apple is making the only pen-friendly foldable that will be ubiquitous. That's ironic when Steve Jobs derided styluses (for good reason at the time), but appreciated them nonetheless. Software that makes good use of every screen It's not just about multitasking iPhone Duo.Credit: Apple Samsung has largely nailed foldable phone multitasking. You can run up to four apps at a time, and managing those apps is straightforward. There's something thrilling about using a Galaxy Z Fold 8 to simultaneously check social apps, message friends, and catch up on my YouTube subscriptions. And yet the iPhone Duo includes some software improvements that Samsung should borrow. For one, Apple didn't invest solely in the folding screen. The repositioned side dock gives apps more vertical space no matter which display you use. Given that some apps (particularly social networks like Instagram or TikTok) don't scale well on the Z Fold 8, Apple made the smarter choice. Multitasking appears to be faster, too, with fewer taps involved to launch apps or set them up in groups. Apple even manages to beat Samsung at times when you're barely touching the phone at all. You can watch videos and play music when it's propped up, but you can also use it in StandBy mode as a pseudo-smart display with widgets, a photo frame, or an alarm clock that glows when it's time to wake up. This even works vertically. You can only run two apps at a time, and dreams of an iPad-style windowed interface are dashed for the time being. This isn't a decisive blow. But it's clear Apple isn't just cribbing from Samsung's playbook — it's addressing some of Samsung's weak points. Design choices make all the difference Apple has features you'd expect Samsung to offer first Credit: Apple While Apple has made its share of design mistakes, such as flaky butterfly keyboards, it's still known as a stickler for detail that pays attention to factors others miss. That's certainly true for the iPhone Duo. Its rounded corners should be much gentler on your palms when unfolded than the Galaxy Z Fold 8's sharp angles. It has built-in magnetic wireless charging through MagSafe and Qi2, no case required. And Apple somehow managed to wring out almost as much battery life as the long-lasting iPhone 18 Pro despite the tightly packed innards. More importantly, Apple is incorporating design elements that Samsung either pulled or should have introduced first. The iPhone Duo has a matte screen that appears to reduce the visible crease and reflections more effectively than the Z Fold 8. There's an under-display selfie camera that appears to solve the quality problems from the Z Fold 6. And did I mention that Apple kept a hinge that lets you fold at nearly any angle, while Samsung removed that for the base Z Fold 8? This isn't to say the iPhone Duo is unambiguously superior. There's no Ultra model with a zoom lens. You might want an exposed selfie camera for better snapshots. And if you prefer Android, there's little Apple will do to change your mind when Google's OS is still more customizable and flexible. But it's rare to see a company enter the foldable phone space with a device so polished that the competition might have to play catch-up.