Can Apple’s first foldable challenge Samsung’s experience? We put the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8 side by side to find out.Prefer HTon Google The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series may have finally met its most formidable rival, as Apple has unveiled one of its most anticipated products, the iPhone Duo. As the first of its kind and priced at $2000 in the USA and ₹2,99,900 in India, Apple’s first foldable will soon face immense pressure to deliver on expectations.Apple gives the Duo bigger, sharper displays, with a more consistent viewing experience across screens.With that in mind, the Cupertino-based tech giant seems to have accounted for everything. The brand has packed the iPhone Duo with a robust hinge, a powerful A20 Pro chipset, clever software features, a capable 48MP dual-camera system, and a few thoughtful extras.So, it begs the question: does Apple’s new venture have enough ingredients to take on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, a product of years of experience, and to justify a price that rivals that of an enthusiast motorbike? With the iPhone Duo yet to reach our hands, it’s too soon to dig for answers. That said, in this article, we will still explore where Apple’s first foldable stands against the Galaxy Z Fold 8 on paper.Design and Build Quality:The iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 share the same book-style foldable design, yet they differ in several respects:Apple’s foldable leans toward rounder proportions, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 opts for a sharper design.Both incorporate titanium to strengthen the build. That said, Apple has used it in the iPhone Duo’s enclosure. In contrast, Samsung has added a titanium-alloy film and a new titanium plate beneath the Galaxy Z Fold 8's OLED panel to make the folding display slimmer and more robust.On the hinge front, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 carries the same Armor FlexHinge mechanism from its predecessor. Meanwhile, the Cupertino-based tech giant has designed its foldable’s hinge with more than 100 components and paired it with an integrated magnet array to deliver a smooth, satisfying feel when opening and closing. Internally, it has also incorporated carbon fibre support plates to create a durable platform for the display.Apple has strengthened the iPhone Duo’s front with its in-house Ceramic Shield 2 protective layer, claimed to provide three times the scratch resistance of its previous generation, and its rear with a Ceramic Shield layer. Meanwhile, Samsung has opted for Corning Gorilla Ceramic 3 on the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back.Samsung’s extensive foldable experience has helped it shave weight from the Galaxy Z Fold 8's complex structure, bringing it to just 201 grams. On paper, the iPhone Duo is heavier at 245 grams.Similarly, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is slimmer at 4.5 mm when unfolded, while the iPhone Duo measures 5.4 mm in the same state.The Galaxy Z Fold 8 offers a slimmer, lighter design, with titanium reinforcements and Samsung’s refined hinge. (Shaurya Sharma - Hindustan Times)Display:The display is where the gap widens between the iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8: iPhone DuoGalaxy Z Fold 8Internal Display Size and Type7.6-inch OLED6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2XInternal Display Resolution1878x2670, 430ppi1080 x 2520, 400ppiInternal Display Refresh Rate120 Hz ProMotion120 Hz Adaptive refresh rateInternal Display Brightness3000 nits3000 nitsCover Display Size5.4-inch OLED4.1-inchCover Display Resolution1398 x 2034, 460 PPI948 x 1048, 342 PPICover Display Refresh Rate120 Hz ProMotion60/120Hz refresh rateCover Display Brightness3000 nits3000 nitsFor starters, the iPhone Duo has larger internal and cover displays than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The former also offers higher-resolution panels with higher pixel density, which may deliver much sharper visuals.Beyond resolution, Apple has set the iPhone Duo apart by giving both displays the same 4:3 aspect ratio. The brand says this makes content and app activity feel continuous whether the foldable is open or closed. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 8's internal display has a 4:3 aspect ratio, while its cover screen comes with a 10:16 aspect ratio.That said, the iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 both feature nano-texture coating on their internal displays to reduce reflections.Both also share the same brightness level on their internal and cover displays, which is sufficient to watch movies in direct sunlight.Performance:The iPhone Duo is powered by the new A20 Pro, which Apple claims is the fastest smartphone chip in the world. The latest mobile processor is built on a 2nm process and, when paired with an advanced vapour chamber, is said to deliver 35% higher sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro. It is also claimed to feature a faster 7-core GPU and a 16-core NPU with twice the compute power of the A19 Pro. The iPhone 17 Pro, in its own right, proved to be a snappy smartphone for multiple users. If the claims hold, the iPhone Duo may set a new performance benchmark.Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 runs on a 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor for Galaxy. The chipset is also considered among the best for Android smartphones. With an expanded graphite cooling structure, Samsung says it stays responsive even during intensive tasks.The iPhone Duo features capable 48MP primary and ultra-wide cameras, with clever foldable-focused photography features. (Apple)Rear Cameras:While the iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 share the same camera setup, consisting of only primary and ultra-wide cameras, they differ in resolution and aperture.The iPhone Duo features 48MP primary and ultra-wide cameras. By contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 offers a 50MP dual camera array.The iPhone Duo's main camera has a wider ƒ/1.6 aperture than the Galaxy Z Fold 8's ƒ/1.8, which could mean brighter low-light images and better blur. On the contrary, the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s ultra-wide camera, with a wider ƒ/1.9 aperture, is more likely to deliver better-exposed landscape photos in darker areas than the former’s ƒ/2.2.The iPhone Duo supports rear-camera selfies with a live preview on the cover display, along with features to improve framing and posing. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 also offers similar camera functionality.The iPhone Duo also features exclusive capabilities, including Smart Take, which uses AI to capture photos when subjects are ready, and Duo FaceTime, which lets people join calls via the cover display. Neither feature is available on the Galaxy Z Fold 8.Front Cameras:The iPhone Duo has a 12MP camera on the cover screen with an ƒ/2.2 aperture. It uses the same square sensor design as the iPhone 17, letting users capture horizontal selfies without rotating the foldable. Meanwhile, the FaceTime camera on the internal display is intended for video calls and blends into the folding screen when not in use.Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 features 10MP cameras on the cover and internal displays with an ƒ/2.2 aperture.SoftwareiOS 27 has been tailored for the iPhone Duo, with controls, navigation and the Dock repositioned to make better use of its two displays. This gives Apple’s first foldable a more purpose-built software experience.The interface adapts to the Duo’s larger internal display, with elements such as the Dynamic Island and status bar redesigned for the foldable layout. It is a thoughtful implementation that some rivals have already been working towards.The Duo introduces Split View, allowing you to run two apps side by side and finally bringing proper multitasking to the iPhone. This is an area where Samsung’s foldables have had a clear head start.Users can also open two windows of the same app, switch quickly between apps and save app pairs for later, features that will feel familiar to Galaxy Z Fold 8 users.Apple’s software approach is a welcome step forward, particularly in how iOS has been adapted for a foldable. However, when it comes to multitasking, Apple is still catching up with Samsung’s more mature experience.Shubh Bhushan is a Tech Content Researcher for Hindustan Times, where he covers consumer technology, gadgets, AI trends, and internet culture through research-driven digital content. Before this, he spent over two years at MySmartPrice as an Assistant – Testing Labs & Content Producer, working closely on smartphone testing, performance benchmarking, video scripting, and shooting product B-rolls for reviews and feature stories. He also worked as an Analyst at Cognizant, an experience that helped shape his detail-oriented and analytical approach to tech journalism.