iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8: Specs, Price and Which Foldable to Buy

Apple's first foldable went on sale today, and the obvious rival is already in stores. The iPhone Duo and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 are closer than their logos suggest: both are wide, passport-style book foldables with a 7.6-inch inner screen, and both have only two rear cameras.

The differences come down to four things: water and dust protection, weight, multitasking and price. In the US the two cost almost the same. In Canada and Australia they do not.

This guide covers the US, Canada and Australia as of October 23, 2026.

Quick verdict

• Buy the iPhone Duo if you use an iPhone and Apple Watch today, want real water and dust protection (IP68) and want the faster chip.
• Buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8 if you want a lighter, thinner foldable, better multitasking and the longest update promise, or if you are buying in Canada or Australia, where it costs CA$600 to A$1,100 less.
• Wait if you need a stylus. Neither phone supports one today.

iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8: specs side by side

Samsung's naming causes confusion this year. The standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a new wide model with a 4:3 inner screen. The tall model that replaces the Fold 7 is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Everything here refers to the standard Fold 8.

| | iPhone Duo | Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Inner screen | 7.6" OLED, 1878 x 2670, 120Hz | 7.6" AMOLED, 1848 x 2448, 120Hz | | Cover screen | 5.4" OLED, 1398 x 2034, 120Hz | 5.5" AMOLED, 1248 x 1972, 120Hz | | Peak brightness | 3,000 nits | 2,600 nits (Samsung Australia) | | Chip | Apple A20 Pro (2nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy | | RAM | Not disclosed | 12GB or 16GB | | Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | | Rear cameras | 48MP main + 48MP ultra wide | 50MP main + 50MP ultra wide | | Telephoto | No (2x is a crop of the main camera) | No (2x is a crop of the main camera) | | Selfie cameras | 12MP cover + under-display inner | 10MP cover + 10MP inner | | Battery | 4,883 mAh (EU label, reported) | 4,800 mAh | | Wired charging | 50% in about 20 min | 45W, 63% in about 30 min | | Wireless charging | 25W MagSafe and Qi2 | 20W, plus reverse wireless | | Water and dust | IP68 (6 m for 30 min) | IP48 | | Thickness (open / closed) | 5.2 mm / 11.3 mm | 4.5 mm / 9.7 mm | | Weight | 254 g | 201 g | | Unlock | Touch ID (no Face ID) | Side fingerprint sensor | | Stylus | Apple Pencil "later this year" | No S Pen support | | Software | iOS 27 | Android 17, One UI 9 | | Updates | Not stated by Apple | Up to 7 years |

Price in the US, Canada and Australia

| Storage | iPhone Duo | Galaxy Z Fold 8 | | 256GB | US$1,999 / CA$2,999 / A$3,499 | US$1,899.99 / CA$2,399.99 / A$2,699 | | 512GB | US$2,199 / CA$3,299 / A$3,899 | US$2,099.99 / CA$2,679.99 / A$2,999 | | 1TB | US$2,599 / CA$3,899 / A$4,699 | US$2,499.99 / CA$3,239.99 / A$3,599 | | 2TB | US$3,199 / CA$4,799 / A$5,899 | Not available |

In the US, the list prices are only about $100 apart at each storage size. The real gap is usually bigger, because the Fold 8 has been discounted since September: $250 off at Amazon and Best Buy from September 7, and as low as $1,549.99 during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days on October 6 and 7. Prices change often, so check before you buy.

In Canada, the iPhone Duo costs about CA$600 to CA$660 more at each storage size. In Australia, the gap is A$800 to A$1,100. For most buyers outside the US, that difference alone makes the Fold 8 the better value.

Carrier deals favor the Duo on paper. In the US, AT&T offers up to $1,200 off and T-Mobile up to $1,000 off, both paid as bill credits over 36 months. In Australia, Optus offers up to A$780 off over 36 months. These deals lock you into a plan for three years, so compare the total cost, not just the discount.

Availability: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has been on sale since August 7 in the US and Canada and since August 14 in Australia. The iPhone Duo went on sale October 23 in all three countries, but stock is tight. Apple called demand "extraordinary," and new US orders were showing delivery in mid to late November.

Design and durability: IP68 is the biggest difference

The iPhone Duo is rated IP68, meaning it is dust tight and can survive 30 minutes in 6 metres of water. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rated IP48: it handles water to 1.5 metres, but the 4 only covers particles larger than 1 mm, so sand and fine dust are a risk for the hinge. If you take your phone to the beach, a worksite or a dusty commute, this matters more than any other spec in this comparison. Engadget notes that the only other IP68 foldable sold in the US is the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

The Fold 8 wins on size. At 201 g it is 53 g lighter than the Duo's 254 g, and at 9.7 mm closed it is 1.6 mm thinner. Trusted Reviews calls it "the lightest book-style foldable by quite a margin". Apple's "thinnest iPhone ever" claim is true within the iPhone line, but the Fold 8 is thinner both open and closed.

On hinge durability, the evidence is still thin. The Wall Street Journal folded the iPhone Duo more than 32,000 times and found the hinge had not loosened. No independent drop or bend test has been published yet for either phone.

The crease

Apple says its display coating minimizes the crease but does not claim it is gone. Reviewers mostly agree it is hard to see. Engadget describes a small divot that largely disappears when you look at the screen straight on, while TechRadar found it partly visible at some angles.

The Fold 8's crease is more noticeable. Trusted Reviews could still see and feel it, and Gizmodo found it had deepened after two weeks of use.

One thing to know about the Duo: Engadget found that its matte nano-texture screen film can be peeled off, and Apple charges $49 to replace it.

Performance

The iPhone Duo is the faster phone. In Gizmodo's Geekbench 7 runs, it scored 4,002 single-core and 60,608 GPU, against 3,112 and 17,331 for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, while multi-core scores were close (10,728 vs 10,438). That is roughly 22% faster on a single core and more than three times faster on graphics.

GSMArena also found that the Fold 8 throttles and warms up under sustained load. For gaming and video editing, the Duo has a real advantage. For email, browsing and streaming, you will not notice much difference.

Battery life and charging

The two batteries are almost the same size, and published tests give mixed results:

The Duo lasted over three hours longer in Tom's Guide's browsing test, but the two were effectively tied in Engadget's video test. Day-to-day reports of the Duo also vary: Engadget often ended the day with 40% or more left, while a Verge reviewer needed to charge during the day. Our reading is that the Duo matches or slightly beats the Fold 8, but not by a wide margin.

Apple rates the Duo for up to 31 hours of video on the inner screen and up to 44 hours on the cover screen. It charges to 50% in about 20 minutes with a 60W-capable adapter, and supports 25W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging. The Fold 8 charges at 45W wired and 20W wireless, and can charge earbuds or a watch on its back. Neither phone includes a charger in the box.

Cameras

On paper the camera setups are very similar. Both have a large main camera and an ultra wide, and both create their "2x" zoom by cropping the main sensor rather than using a telephoto lens. If zoom photography matters to you, neither is the right phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the iPhone 18 Pro both have dedicated telephoto cameras.

Engadget found the two phones' photos comparable, with the Duo producing better-exposed low-light shots. No full camera comparison of the two has been published yet.

The Duo also lacks several iPhone 18 Pro camera features, including ProRAW, ProRes video and LiDAR.

Software and multitasking

This is where the Galaxy Z Fold 8 pulls ahead. One UI 9 lets you run up to four apps on screen, use floating windows and connect to a monitor with Samsung DeX. GSMArena calls it "arguably the most complete foldable software experience". Samsung also promises up to seven years of OS and security updates.

The iPhone Duo runs iOS 27 and supports two apps side by side. Apple's own apps, plus apps such as Netflix and Instagram, are already optimized for the inner screen, but Engadget found that apps like Telegram and many games still appear letterboxed. WIRED's advice is to wait a few months for developers to catch up.

If you already use an iPhone, the Duo keeps iMessage, FaceTime, AirDrop and Apple Watch working as before. Note that it uses Touch ID in the side button instead of Face ID. 9to5Mac called the switch "the hardest thing to get used to," though unlocking with an Apple Watch helps.

What reviewers say

iPhone Duo:

• Engadget gave it 8.8 out of 10 and called it a "first-class foldable" with one of the smoothest hinges it has used.
• The Verge called it "expensive… full of compromises, and it can be incredibly frustrating to use," but fun.
• WIRED recommends waiting a few months for app optimization.
• CNET said the 5.4-inch cover screen "doesn't feel cramped".

Galaxy Z Fold 8:

• Android Central calls it "the Goldilocks foldable" that most people should buy.
• Tom's Guide calls it "the best Android foldable for most people".
• Trusted Reviews calls it "the new standard for foldables".

Which foldable should you buy?

Choose the iPhone Duo if:

• You already use an iPhone, Mac or Apple Watch and want everything to keep working together.
• You need IP68 protection for the beach, outdoor work or travel.
• You want the fastest chip, for gaming or editing.
• You can wait a few weeks for delivery and accept a heavier, thicker phone.

Choose the Galaxy Z Fold 8 if:

• You want the lightest, thinnest book-style foldable.
• You multitask a lot or want to use DeX with a monitor.
• You want a written promise of seven years of updates.
• You live in Canada or Australia, where it costs hundreds of dollars less, or you can buy it at the discounted US price.

Wait if:

• You need a stylus: Apple Pencil support for the Duo is only promised for later this year, and the Fold 8 does not support the S Pen.
• You want to see independent drop and durability tests of the iPhone Duo, which have not been published yet.

You can compare every spec line by line on our iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 comparison page, or see the full spec pages for the iPhone Duo and Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Frequently asked questions

Prices and availability checked October 23, 2026. We will update this guide as prices change and as more durability tests are published.