Apple’s first foldable and Samsung’s wide-format foldable now sit within $100 of each other, and they reach the same 7.6-inch inner display in very different ways. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 and goes on sale October 23. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 starts at $1,899 and has been on sale since August 7.
This is the standard Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, the shorter and wider model, and not the taller Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, which starts at $2,099. The iPhone Duo wins on chip, dust protection, battery rating and titanium construction. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 wins on weight, thickness and price.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Costs $100 Less
The iPhone Duo comes in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 stops at 1TB, so the $3,199 iPhone Duo with 2TB has no Samsung counterpart.
| Storage | iPhone Duo | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 |
|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $1,999 | $1,899 |
| 512GB | $2,199 | $2,099 |
| 1TB | $2,599 | $2,499 |
| 2TB | $3,199 | Not offered |
The other gap is availability, since the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is in stock at Samsung, Amazon, Best Buy and the major carriers. US pre-orders for the iPhone Duo opened October 16 and now show November delivery dates on some configurations.
The iPhone Duo Weighs 53 Grams More
Apple’s technical specifications list the iPhone Duo at 254 grams (8.96 ounces), while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 weighs 201 grams (7.09 ounces). Folded, the iPhone Duo is 11.3mm thick against 9.7mm for the Samsung phone. Opened, it is 5.2mm against 4.5mm.
The inner displays share a 7.6-inch diagonal and a 120Hz refresh rate, but the shapes differ. The iPhone Duo opens to a taller panel, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 uses a wide 4:3 panel. Both reach 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
| Spec | iPhone Duo | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 |
|---|---|---|
| Inner display | 7.6-inch OLED, 1878 x 2670, 430 ppi | 7.6-inch LTPO AMOLED, 2448 x 1848, about 403 ppi |
| Outer display | 5.4-inch OLED, 1398 x 2034, 460 ppi | 5.5-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1972 x 1248, 428 ppi |
| Weight | 254g | 201g |
| Thickness, open | 5.2mm | 4.5mm |
| Thickness, closed | 11.3mm | 9.7mm |
| Frame | Titanium | Aluminum |
The iPhone Duo adds a nano-texture finish on the inner display and hides its inner camera under the screen, so nothing cuts into the panel. The hinge and folding display construction are detailed in the full iPhone Duo announcement.
The iPhone Duo Uses a 2nm Chip
The iPhone Duo uses the Apple A20 Pro, built on a 2-nanometer process, with a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU. Apple pairs it with a vapor chamber and claims up to 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 runs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy on a 3-nanometer process, with 12GB of RAM and 16GB on the 1TB model. Apple does not list RAM for the iPhone Duo. Retail units ship October 23, so side-by-side benchmarks are still to come.
Neither Phone Has a Telephoto Lens
Each phone has two rear cameras, and the iPhone Duo pairs a 48MP Fusion Main camera (f/1.6, sensor-shift stabilization) with a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera. The 2x option on the Main camera is an optical-quality crop, not a separate lens. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 pairs a 50MP wide camera (f/1.8) with a 50MP ultrawide camera (f/1.9).
The front cameras differ more, with a 12MP Center Stage camera on the iPhone Duo’s outer screen and an under-display camera inside, against a 10MP camera on each screen of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Apple also adds camera features built around the fold, including Duo Preview, Smart Take and Dual Capture, and the iPhone Duo records 4K Dolby Vision video at up to 120 fps on the Main camera.
Only the iPhone Duo Is Fully Dust-Tight
The iPhone Duo carries an IP68 rating, tested to 6 meters for 30 minutes. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is rated IP48, which covers water to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes but only keeps out dust particles larger than 1mm, and dust is the bigger risk for a hinge, as our IP68 breakdown explains.
The materials follow the same split, with a titanium frame, Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back of the iPhone Duo, and an aluminum frame with a Gorilla Glass back on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Apple also says the inner display has a replaceable cover layer.
Battery Capacity Is Nearly Identical
The iPhone Duo has a 4,883 mAh battery split across two cells, against 4,800 mAh on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Apple rates the iPhone Duo at up to 44 hours of video playback on the outer display and up to 31 hours on the inner display, with up to 24 hours of typical use across both. Samsung quotes up to 26 hours of video playback, though the two companies test differently, so the figures are a guide and not a like-for-like result.
Charging speeds are close, and more detail on Apple’s numbers is in our iPhone Duo battery life report.
- The iPhone Duo reaches 50 percent in about 20 minutes with a 60W-capable adapter, which Apple sells separately. MagSafe and Qi2 charging run up to 25W.
- The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 charges at 45W wired, reaching 63 percent in 30 minutes, and at 20W wireless.
Software Is the Bigger Difference
The iPhone Duo runs iOS 27, which adds Split View to iPhone for the first time, two Home Screen pages when the phone is open and the new Siri AI. Apple Pencil (USB-C) support is coming later this year. Apple rates the phone for at least five years of software updates.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 runs Android 17 with One UI 9, Galaxy AI and Samsung DeX, a desktop mode that has no iPhone equivalent. Samsung promises up to seven major Android upgrades. It has also had eight hardware generations to refine foldable multitasking, and Apple’s late start is covered in why Apple waited this long.
Two practical differences matter to anyone switching. The iPhone Duo is eSIM-only and uses Touch ID in the side button, with no Face ID. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 takes a physical nano-SIM or an eSIM and uses a fingerprint sensor.
Weight and Platform Decide the Pick
The iPhone Duo suits buyers who:
- already use an iPhone, iMessage, AirDrop and an Apple Watch
- want a dust-tight IP68 foldable with a titanium frame
- care about the newest chip and battery life ratings
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 suits buyers who:
- want the lightest and thinnest option at 201 grams
- need desktop-style multitasking through Samsung DeX
- would rather save $100 at each storage tier
The iPhone Duo goes on sale Friday, October 23, in more than 70 countries and regions, including the US.
Buy Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date and time indicated and are subject to change.
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