4 methods Galaxy Z Fold 8 beats iPhone Duo and 4 ways Apple fights back

Apple has finally entered the foldable race, with its iPhone Duo taking on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for the crown of ‘dinkiest book-style foldable’.

Samsung has the advantage of being first to market, as well as years of experience dealing with the foldable form factor. But Apple, of course, knows a thing or two about entering the race late and still cleaning up.

So how do these two phones compare? They’re clearly shooting for the same target, with this new passport-style format of horizontally folding phone.

We know for sure which of these two phones is best until we’ve had a chance to take the iPhone Duo for a spin. Still, we can see some key points in favour of both phones.

Here, then, are four ways in which the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 wins out, and the same number of ways in which Apple looks to have an advantage in this folding phone duel.

Samsung’s foldable is much lighter

One of the things I most like about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is that it’s a full-sized foldable that isn’t a total pain to carry around.

Yes, it’s inherently compact when closed – both phones are – but the key point is that it weighs 201g. That’s firmly in ‘normal phone’ territory.

I wish I could say the same for the iPhone Duo, which weighs in at a fairly hefty 254g. That’s a significant difference of 26% less weight to carry around for Samsung.

The iPhone Duo has a more premium design

One of the reasons behind that heft is that the iPhone Duo has seemingly been built of sterner stuff.

It features a titanium body and hinge cover, a scratch-resistant coating on the inner display, Ceramic Shields to both the front and back, and IP68 certification.

That latter point is fairly unique for a mainstream foldable. It’s the kind of water resistance spec we’ve only seen in the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold and its predecessor, with the Fold 8 stuck on IP48.

Apple’s hinge, too, appears to be a more sophisticated mechanism, able to be posed in multiple positions. Samsung’s tablet, on the other hand, is basically open or closed, meaning you miss out on the Flex Mode found on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

But Samsung gives you more colour options

The iPhone Duo might have a fancier design, but Samsung gives you double the number of colour options.

That means four colours to Apple’s two, with the interesting Lavender hue we reviewed it as well as the online/Samsung store exclusive Pistachio joining Graphite and Cream.

That Night Sky Duo is nice though.

The iPhone Duo is likely to take better photos

We won’t know for sure until our review, but all signs point to the iPhone Duo having the more impressive camera chops.

Both phones have dual camera set-ups, with one main and one ultra-wide. But the iPhone Duo gives you a larger 48Mp 1/1.28″ main sensor compared to the Samsung’s 50Mp 1/1.56″ equivalent. Apple’s 48Mp.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is cheaper

A key criticism of both phones, and all foldables for that matter, is their steep asking price. Still, the Fold 8 has a clear advantage, with a starting price that’s £300/$200 lower than the iPhone Duo.

It’ll still set you back £1,699/$1,899, but at least you’ll have change from £2,000/$2,000 to spend on a case or some better insurance.

Apple’s software optimisations looks far slicker

Again, we need to go hands-on, but Apple’s software and UI work for the iPhone Duo looks spectacular.

From the seamless opening animation that looks to do away with the micro-adaptation period of switching between screens, to the thoughtfully rejigged home screen (dock now to the side) and apps – not to mention third-party support from the likes of Netflix – it looks to be in a league of its own.

Samsung’s foldable software is like a well-oiled machine by now, of course, and the Fold 8 is a pretty smooth experience. But Apple might just have levelled things up.

Samsung’s Fold 8 has a less wonky outer display

Look at both of these phones head on. What do you see?

If your head is wired a certain way, you’ll see a nice symmetrical (if stubby) phone in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and an OHMYGODWHATISTHATWONKYABOMINATION?

Yes, the iPhone Duo has attracted some derision in certain corners of the internet for its odd D-shaped external display, with the screen tracing the shape of those curved corners at one end and a straight edge at the other.

An offset selfie cam only adds to the asymmetry. It’s certainly different, and will likely take some people a fair amount of adjustment.

The iPhone Duo has Qi2 support

Samsung has been frustratingly slow to adopt the Qi2 standard, meaning there’s no magnetic charging or accessory support without a special case.

That includes foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

There’s no such worry with the iPhone Duo. Apple pioneered the standard through MagSafe, and its first foldable continues to support this conveniently sticky charging system.

Samsung gives you a proper internal selfie cam

Many seem to be cooing over Apple’s under-display internal selfie camera, which gives you an unobstructed view of that big display.

We’ve been burned too many times by this technology to follow suit. They might look cool, but they invariably capture terrible videos and images thanks to the lower amount of light reaching the sensor.

Indeed, Samsung itself used to implement such a feature into its own foldables, and came to conclude that it wasn’t worth the effort.

The recap

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 wins:

• Lighter
• Double the colourways
• Cheaper
• Proper internal camera

Apple iPhone Duo wins:

• Premium, durable design
• Better main cameras (likely)
• Software optimisation
• MagSafe built-in