Apple’s iPhone Duo and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 lead the foldable phone market with passport-size designs, dual rear cameras, and similar battery capacities, though their high price tags and missing telephoto lenses present notable trade-offs for buyers, CNET reported.
Apple and Samsung Release Competing Book-Style Foldables
Apple and Samsung have introduced competing book-style foldables with the iPhone Duo starting at $1,999 for 256GB and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starting at $1,900 for the same storage level, CNET reported. Both devices feature a passport-size configuration, two rear cameras, and roughly identical battery capacities, offering a palm-sized cover display alongside a sprawling 7.6-inch inner screen for multitasking and video viewing. The MakeUseOf reviewer noted that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 measures 9.7mm thick when closed and feels more natural to hold than the iPhone Duo, which measures 11.3mm closed. Despite the extra thickness, the iPhone Duo includes MagSafe and stylus support that the Samsung model lacks, according to MakeUseOf.
Testing camera performance at Filoli historic house
Testing the cameras at Filoli, a historic house and garden in the San Francisco Bay Area, revealed distinct differences in how each phone captures color and detail, CNET reported. The iPhone Duo features a 48-megapixel wide camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, a 12-megapixel cover selfie camera, and an inner FaceTime camera of unspecified resolution. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 includes a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera, and 10-megapixel selfie cameras on both the cover and inner displays. Neither phone includes a telephoto lens, leaving them behind premium non-folding phones like the iPhone 18 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra in optical zoom capabilities.
In direct garden comparisons, the iPhone Duo better preserved stone bench detail and rendered deeper greenery hues on a path shot, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 produced a sharper tree bark image with brighter flora tones. Portrait shots showed the iPhone Duo capturing richer blacks, warmer stone tones, and a raven subject that stood out more distinctly against the background. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 delivered brighter hydrangeas and a more vibrant blue sky that appeared washed out on the iPhone Duo.
Adapting app ecosystems for foldable form factors
App ecosystems present stark differences between the two devices as developers update software for foldable form factors. Susan Prescott, Apple’s VP of Worldwide Developer Relations, announced in a statement that the App Store hosts over 100,000 apps built for the iPhone Duo, with thousands of optimized apps added daily. MakeUseOf reported that iOS requires further adaptation for foldables, as apps not fully updated to the iOS 27.1 SDK leave black bars on the right side of the screen where sidebar controls reside. Vulture reported that streaming apps handle the iPhone Duo screen layout unevenly, noting that Prime Video adapts well to the hardware, while Peacock displays video restricted to a fraction of available screen real estate in a slim vertical block. MakeUseOf reported that the iPhone Duo's nano-texture display acts as a fingerprint magnet requiring frequent cleaning, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 8 utilizes a glossy, anti-reflective screen protector that is easier to maintain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the starting prices for the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8?
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB of storage, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $1,900 for the same storage capacity, according to CNET reporting.
Do the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8 include telephoto lenses?
Neither foldable phone features a telephoto camera, meaning users must rely on wide and ultra-wide lenses that lack the advanced optical zoom capabilities found on standard flagship models like the iPhone 18 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra.
How many apps are optimized for the iPhone Duo?
Apple’s VP of Worldwide Developer Relations, Susan Prescott, stated that well over 100,000 apps built for the iPhone Duo are live on the App Store, with thousands of additional optimized apps added daily.
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