Apple has finally entered the foldable smartphone market. Now Samsung, the company that helped define the category, has a new competitor to worry about.

For years, Samsung had one major advantage in the foldable smartphone market: Apple was not competing in it.

That changed in September 2026.

Apple has introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, putting it directly against Samsung’s latest book-style foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold8. The timing is significant because Samsung has already released eight generations of its Fold series since entering the category in 2019. The two companies are now competing for the same premium customers, but they are approaching foldable phones in very different ways.

Apple Has Entered a Market Samsung Built

Samsung was one of the first major smartphone manufacturers to seriously invest in foldable phones. Its Galaxy Fold launched in 2019, and the company has spent years refining the design, hinge, displays, software and durability.

Apple waited.

Instead of entering when foldables were still experimental, Apple has arrived when the category is considerably more mature.

That strategy is now being tested.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, while the Galaxy Z Fold8 launched at a lower price. Samsung’s latest Fold also benefits from years of experience in building and refining large foldable phones.

Apple, however, has something Samsung cannot easily replicate: the existing iPhone ecosystem. That could make this competition much bigger than a comparison of specifications.

iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold8

At first glance, the two phones look remarkably similar. Both use a book-style folding design and offer a display of around 7.6 inches when opened.

But the hardware underneath is quite different.

Current specification comparisons show that both devices share several headline features, but Samsung’s Fold8 is substantially lighter while Apple’s Duo offers higher maximum storage and a stronger ingress-protection rating.

The Biggest Difference Is Not the Screen

Both companies have built phones around a similar idea: a normal-sized outer display that opens into a much larger screen.

Apple’s Duo has a 5.4-inch external display and 7.6-inch internal display. Samsung’s Fold8 uses a slightly larger 5.5-inch cover display and 7.6-inch internal display. Both support refresh rates up to 120Hz. The more interesting difference is how the two companies use those displays.

Samsung has had years to develop One UI for foldable devices. Its software supports multitasking, multiple applications and flexible screen positions.

Apple is taking a different approach with iOS 27.

The company has redesigned parts of iOS around the foldable format, allowing applications and content to adapt between the outer and inner screens. The Duo can also be partially folded for certain tasks.

This means Apple’s challenge is not simply creating a good foldable screen. It needs to make the foldable experience feel like a natural extension of the iPhone.

Samsung Has the Hardware Experience

This is where Samsung has an obvious advantage.

Samsung has already gone through multiple generations of foldable hardware. The company has had years to improve its hinge systems, screen durability, thickness and overall design. The Galaxy Z Fold8 weighs around 201 grams, while the iPhone Duo weighs around 254 grams. That is a difference of more than 50 grams, which can be noticeable when carrying the phone throughout the day.

Samsung has also pushed aggressively toward thinner foldables.

Apple’s Duo, meanwhile, is using a titanium frame and places a strong emphasis on its display and hinge construction. Apple may have entered the category later, but Samsung’s experience means it cannot be dismissed simply because Apple is the newer competitor.

Apple Has an Important Advantage: The iPhone Ecosystem

Samsung has the Galaxy ecosystem.

Apple has the iPhone ecosystem.

That distinction could become one of the most important parts of this competition.

Millions of people already use iPhones alongside Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, AirPods and other Apple services. For those users, moving to a foldable iPhone does not require leaving the Apple ecosystem. The Duo can therefore be marketed as something very different from an experimental new smartphone.

It is an iPhone that happens to fold.

That could make Apple’s entry more powerful than its market share in foldables might initially suggest.

Cameras Could Become Another Battleground

Samsung and Apple are also taking different approaches to cameras.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 uses a dual-camera system with a 50MP main camera and 50MP ultra-wide camera. The iPhone Duo uses two 48MP rear cameras. On paper, Samsung has the advantage in sensor resolution.

But smartphone photography is not determined by megapixel counts alone.

Image processing, computational photography, video recording, stabilization and software all influence the final result. Apple’s strength has traditionally been its combination of hardware and image-processing software, while Samsung has continued to offer highly capable camera hardware and extensive shooting features.

Real-world camera testing will therefore matter more than the numbers on the specification sheet.

Apple Has One Big Display Advantage

Apple is also trying to solve one of the most recognizable problems with foldable phones: the crease.

The iPhone Duo uses a specially engineered folding display and a nano-texture surface intended to reduce reflections. Early hands-on reports suggest the crease is less noticeable than on many previous foldables, although long-term use will be required to judge how well it holds up.

Samsung has also spent years improving the visibility and durability of its foldable displays. This means the real competition will not be about whether a crease exists. It will be about how noticeable it becomes after months or years of opening and closing the device.

Apple Is More Expensive

Price may be one of the clearest advantages for Samsung.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, while the Galaxy Z Fold8 starts at around $1,899 in the US market. Apple’s Duo can also be configured with up to 2TB of storage, taking its price significantly higher.

That makes the Duo a particularly expensive smartphone.

Apple is effectively asking customers to pay a premium for entering its foldable ecosystem. Samsung has a different challenge. It needs to convince customers that its years of foldable experience make the Galaxy Z Fold8 a better choice even after Apple’s arrival.

Samsung Is Already Responding

Samsung has not ignored Apple’s entrance.

Following Apple’s announcement, Samsung launched a global promotional campaign highlighting its experience with foldable phones and emphasizing the thinness and weight of its latest devices. The company has also used social media to criticize Apple’s approach, effectively turning the launch into a direct competitive moment between the two brands.

That reaction itself is significant.

Samsung spent years competing with other Android manufacturers in the foldable market. Apple’s arrival changes the conversation because the iPhone has such a strong position in the premium smartphone market. Samsung now has to convince consumers that Apple is the newcomer, not the company setting the standard.

Apple Is Not Starting From Zero

There is an interesting twist to this competition.

Although Apple is new to foldable smartphones, the company is not entering an empty market. Samsung, Google, Motorola and several Chinese manufacturers have already experimented with different foldable designs.

Apple can study what worked and what failed.

That means the Duo does not have to repeat the mistakes of early foldable phones.

It can enter with lessons already learned by the industry.

This is one reason Apple’s late arrival could actually be an advantage.

But Samsung Has Something Apple Cannot Buy Overnight

Experience.

Samsung has been developing foldables since 2019 and has released multiple generations of Galaxy Fold devices. That experience gives Samsung years of data about how customers use foldables, where hardware fails, how hinges behave over time and what software features people actually use. Apple cannot reproduce that history simply by releasing its first foldable. What Apple can do is use its enormous hardware, software and developer ecosystem to accelerate adoption.

That is why this competition is so interesting.

Samsung has the experience.

Apple has the ecosystem.

Which Foldable Is Better?

There is no simple winner yet.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 looks more attractive for users who want a lighter device, established foldable software and a lower starting price. The iPhone Duo is more appealing to people already invested in Apple’s ecosystem who want a larger screen without moving away from iOS.

Choose the Galaxy Z Fold8 if you want:

• A lighter foldable
• More years of foldable hardware experience
• Android and One UI
• Samsung’s multitasking features
• A lower starting price
• More RAM on higher storage configurations

Choose the iPhone Duo if you want:

• iOS on a foldable device
• Deep integration with the Apple ecosystem
• Up to 2TB of storage
• Apple Pencil support
• IP68 protection
• A new foldable display experience
• The option to use Apple’s existing apps and services on a larger screen

The Real Winner May Be the Customer

The most important part of this competition is not which phone wins the first comparison.

It is what happens next.

Samsung now has a reason to push foldable phones further. Apple has entered a category where it can no longer simply wait and watch competitors’ experiment. That could lead to thinner phones, better hinges, stronger displays, better battery technology and more useful foldable software.

It could also push prices down over time as competition increases.

For consumers, that is good news.

The Foldable Phone War Has Changed

Samsung helped establish the modern foldable smartphone market. Apple has now entered the category with the iPhone Duo, positioning itself as a premium competitor from the start. The Galaxy Z Fold8 currently has the advantage of experience, a lighter design and a lower starting price. The iPhone Duo, meanwhile, benefits from Apple’s ecosystem, new hardware and the enormous existing iPhone customer base.

Neither company has won the foldable race.

In fact, the race has only just become interesting.

For years, the question was whether foldable phones would become mainstream. Now there is a much bigger question:

Can Apple make foldable iPhones popular enough to force Samsung and the rest of the industry to rethink what the next smartphone should look like?

We may soon find out.