Tuesday Tech: iPhone Duo
iPhone Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Did Apple Just Make the Better Foldable?
It’s finally happened. After years of rumors, renders, and endless internet speculation with people guessing names like the iPhone Ultra, iPhone Fold, or iPhone Wide, Apple officially unveiled its first-ever foldable: the iPhone Duo.
Kudos to Apple for coming up with such an original name... oh wait, didn't Microsoft release the Surface Duo back in the day?
Sarcasm aside, credit is due where credit is due. I’ve been a loyal Samsung user since the dawn of the smartphone era (though like most millennials, my very first phone was a classic Nokia brick). I am literally typing this blog post on my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 right now.
Yes, Apple is notoriously late to the foldable party while Samsung is currently flexing its 8th generation of foldable tech. But being late isn't always a bad thing. Apple took its time cooking up the best possible approach to a folding device, and after watching the keynote, I’m convinced they might have actually built the superior foldable experience.
Here is a 1:1 breakdown of what Apple got right and where Samsung made some puzzling compromises with the Z Fold 8.
1. The Form Factor: Passport vs. Tall Book
Samsung actually teased a "passport-style" wide foldable form factor way back in 2013, but it took years for the industry to realize it. With the iPhone Duo, Apple opted for a wider, passport-proportioned outer display.
Now, on a personal level, I still prefer the ease of one-handed use that comes with the slim, tall book-style foldable design on my Fold 6. It just feels sleeker in the hand. However, when you open up both devices, Apple utilized that wider aspect ratio to re-introduce features Samsung inexplicably began stripping away.
2. Flex Mode: A Feature Lost and Found
Apple introduced its own seamless version of split-screen tilt functionality (what Samsung originally pioneered as Flex Mode).
What’s crazy is that Samsung has now restricted true Flex Mode hardware functionality primarily to its Ultra line, meaning the Z Fold 8 leaves out a lot of the hands-free versatility that foldable users loved. Apple keeping this core software-hardware synergy on the Duo gives it a huge productivity edge right out of the box.
3. The Inner Display & The Selfie Camera
Watching content on the iPhone Duo’s inner screen is a dream. Apple went full-on inner display with a clean, seamless under-display selfie camera.
Samsung, on the other hand, removed the under-display camera entirely starting from the Fold 7 generation. I find that move so weird because nobody uses the giant inner screen to take serious selfies anyway; it’s meant for quick video calls and immersive media! Apple made the absolute right call here because watching movies on that unblemished inner display is stunning.
4. Stylus Support: Apple Pencil vs. The Missing S-Pen
This is the biggest point of frustration for me as a Samsung user. I was ready to upgrade my Z Fold 6, but Samsung completely dropped S-Pen support on its recent foldables chasing a thinner body.
Why chase thinness over pure functionality? A bigger inner canvas makes the absolute most sense for a stylus!
Apple doubled down on this by giving the iPhone Duo Apple Pencil support on BOTH the outer cover display and the inner screen. Seeing Apple embrace full stylus utility while Samsung threw it away is a massive win for Apple.
What About the Crease?
Apple fanboys are already claiming the iPhone Duo has "zero crease," but let’s be logical: there is no physical way a folding glass screen has zero crease.
However, Apple’s clever implementation uses a matte display finish, which significantly cuts down on light reflection right over the hinge line, making the crease far less visible during daily use. It's a similar approach to the Z Fold 8, and it works wonderfully.
Is It Worth the RM10,000 Price Tag?
As much as I love what Apple did here, my personal preference still leans toward the slim, tall, one-handed feel of traditional book-style foldables. Plus, the iPhone Duo is going to set you back roughly RM10,000 for the base 256GB model, which is a massive pill to swallow.
That said, as an overall package, the iPhone Duo might actually be the better, more complete foldable on the market today. Kudos to Apple for stepping into the ring and I know for sure Samsung is going to have to step their game up for the 9th-generation Foldables next year!
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