iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: 5 questions that decide your choice

The specifications, for those who want to see them

Question 1: are you already in Apple or Android?

This is the question with no objectively right answer, which is why it often comes first.

Why it matters more than with a regular phone

A foldable phone costs several times as much as a good regular phone. If you switch from one system to the other, you also have the hassle of moving: buying paid apps again, moving your photo library and transferring your messages.

Do you have a Mac, an iPad or an Apple Watch? The iPhone Duo works seamlessly with them. Do you use a Samsung tablet or a Galaxy Watch? The same goes for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8.

The AI features differ per side

The iPhone Duo runs iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence, the Fold8 runs Android with One UI and Galaxy AI. Both help with writing, summarising and editing photos.

On Samsung, Photo Assist lets you remove unwanted objects from a photo or move subjects. Apple offers similar editing in the Photos app. Samsung relies heavily on Google’s Gemini for this, Apple on a combination of its own models and external services.

Question 2: how often do you open it?

This is a difference you won’t see in any advert, but you feel it every day.

53 grams matters more than you think

The Galaxy Z Fold8 weighs 201 grams, the lightest Fold Samsung has ever made. The iPhone Duo weighs 254 grams. That difference of 53 grams is a lot for a phone you carry with you all day.

Apple uses a titanium frame, Samsung chooses aluminium. Titanium is stronger, but also heavier. The Fold8 is also thinner, both closed and open.

Do you mainly use the outer display?

Both outer displays work as a full phone: 5,4 inches on Apple, 5,5 inches on Samsung. So you can easily get through a whole day without touching the large display.

But then you pay almost € 2.000 or more for screen space you don’t use. Do you open it fewer than a few times a day? A regular phone is a lot more affordable, and usually lighter too.

Question 3: what do you do on the large display?

Both inner displays are 7,6 inches. Still, they feel different, and you notice that every time you open the phone.

2 displays of 7,6 inches, 2 different shapes

When open, the Galaxy Z Fold8 has a 4:3 aspect ratio, just like a tablet. This year, Samsung made the phone wider and shorter than the Fold7. That works well for reading documents, articles and web pages.

The iPhone Duo takes a different approach. When you open it, the height stays the same and only the width doubles. So you get a wide, low display. That is why iOS 27 places the dock on the side instead of at the bottom.

What that means in practice

Do you read a lot, watch films or scroll through long pages? The shape of the Fold8 suits you better.

Do you mainly use 2 apps side by side, for example a map on the left and your calendar on the right? The wide display of the iPhone Duo works better. Both phones let you save such a combination, so you get it back with one tap. On Samsung, this is called App Pair, a feature the Fold series has had for years.

Question 4: how important is the camera?

The camera is not what sets them apart here. Both manufacturers made the same choice.

Both without a telephoto lens

The iPhone Duo has 2 cameras of 48 megapixels: a wide and an Ultra Wide. You zoom in 2x by cropping the main sensor, with a quality that Apple says equals optical zoom. The Ultra Wide also does macro photography.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 does almost the same with 2 cameras of 50 megapixels, including that 2x in optical quality. It also has no separate telephoto lens.

One clever advantage of a foldable

Because you use the outer display as a viewfinder, you take selfies with the rear cameras. These are better than any selfie camera. Both phones also have a camera on the inside and on the outside for video calls in any position.

Do you want optical zoom?

Then you end up with the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. It has a telephoto lens with 3x zoom and a 200-megapixel main camera. Between these 2 phones, it’s a draw.

Question 5: how much do you want to spend?

The iPhone Duo starts at € 2.339 for 256 GB, the Galaxy Z Fold8 at € 1.999. On recommended price, that is a difference of € 340, but in shops the difference is bigger.

This is because the Fold8 has been in shops since 7 August and has dropped in price since then. You can only order the iPhone Duo from 16 October, and it is in shops from 23 October, so at the recommended price.

Factor in the storage you need

The iPhone Duo starts at 256 GB. The Galaxy Z Fold8 also offers 512 GB and 1 TB.

Do you film a lot or keep your entire library on your phone? The 1 TB option is worth considering, and Apple doesn’t offer it.

3 things you want to know beforehand

The same on water, not on dust

The iPhone Duo has an IP68 rating, the Galaxy Z Fold8 an IP48 rating. On water, they are equal: the second digit is an 8 on both, which stands for 1,5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

The difference is in the first digit. A 6 means fully dustproof, a 4 only means protection against particles larger than 1 mm. So fine sand can get into the hinge of the Fold8. Apple is the first manufacturer to make a foldable phone fully dustproof.

The iPhone Duo only works with eSIM

There is no SIM card slot, just like on the iPhone Air. So you activate your plan digitally. That is fine if your provider supports eSIM, but you can’t move a physical SIM card from an old phone. The Galaxy Z Fold8 accepts both.

No Face ID on the iPhone Duo

You unlock the phone with Touch ID in the side button. If you are coming from a recent iPhone, you will need to get used to this. The Fold8 also uses a fingerprint scanner in the side button.

The quick conclusion

Are you on Android, do you mainly use your phone closed and do you read a lot? The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 is the logical choice. It is 53 grams lighter, cheaper, available straight away and offers more storage.

Are you in the Apple ecosystem and do you often use 2 apps side by side? The iPhone Duo is worth considering, as long as you accept the extra cost and the extra weight. In return, you get a sturdier frame and full dust protection.

Still not sure? First check how often you would actually open your current phone. That is the question most buyers only ask themselves afterwards.

How to arrange your plan at Simyo

Whichever phone you choose, you arrange your plan separately. Take out a Sim Only plan and put together your own bundles. You can change them every month, including to a smaller one.

Does your phone only work with eSIM, like the iPhone Duo? You activate your plan digitally, without waiting for a SIM card in the post. Read how this works on our page about eSIM .

Looking for a phone with a plan instead? Check out our range of phones .

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