GoKawiil
Tech News
Samsung UK's blog post reports combined European sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra rose 45 percent compared to the Z Fold 7, alongside a 460 percent spike in search volume for the Z8 series in the week of September 6-12, when Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo. Samsung did not mention Apple, the iPhone Duo, or Z Flip 8 sales figures in the post.
Apple will let customers try its new foldable iPhone, the Duo, in stores starting Friday, after last week's preorder window closed for anyone who missed it. CNET outlines several things shoppers should test in-store, including the unfolding animation, the display's matte finish and its minimal crease, before committing to the roughly $2,000 device.
Early reviews of Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, converge on a consistent set of findings. Critics call it the best foldable phone currently available, while flagging a visible and tangible crease, lagging third-party app support for the inner screen, and a design better suited to people who plan to use the unfolded display often rather than occasionally.
Apple has set a purchase limit of two iPhone Duo foldable phones per customer on its online store, according to CNET. Preorders placed now are estimated to ship by Jan. 25, and in-store stock is expected to be limited when the phone launches Friday. Carriers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Best Buy reportedly allow larger orders, but only when bundled with a service line.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is now listed at 33% off its retail price on Amazon, marking the lowest price the foldable device has reached since launch. The $655 discount applies to the premium handset, according to the pricing reported by the retailer.
Engadget's review of Apple's iPhone Duo foldable describes a 5.4-inch 120Hz OLED outer display with up to 3,000 nits brightness, paired with a 7.6-inch inner panel sharing the same aspect ratio and interface for a seamless transition. The inner screen uses a matte nanotexture coating to reduce glare and hide the crease, which is replaceable for $49 but can be damaged if peeled at improperly, with no on-device warning against doing so.
The Verge's senior smartphone reviewer spent a week testing the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone, alongside editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, and hosted a live Q&A session to field reader questions about the device. The published review already covered core functionality, but the reviewer noted there was more detail to share about how the device operates in daily use.
A senior tech reviewer who tested the iPhone Duo for a week says the nano-texture matte finish on its 7.6-inch inner screen stands out as the device's strongest feature. She notes it reduces glare and improves readability compared with the glossy inner displays found on other book-style foldables she has used over the past five years.
Apple confirmed to CNET that the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, will ship on Oct. 23 running iOS 27.1 instead of the base iOS 27 version used on other iPhones. Apple says iOS 27.1 retains the iOS 27 foundation but adds features built specifically for the foldable design, while all iPhones will later receive iOS 27.2, whose release candidate arrived Oct. 19.
A leak reported by 9to5Google indicates Samsung intends to launch six separate foldable devices next year: the Galaxy Z Slide, Z TriFold2, Z Fold9, Z Fold9 Pro, Z Fold9 Ultra, and Z Flip9. The move follows Apple's launch of the iPhone Duo, which has reportedly seen demand far outstrip supply, and comes after Samsung reportedly moved up the release of its Z Trifold 2.
A reader survey asked which $2,000 foldable phone people would rather buy, and a majority chose an existing foldable device over Apple's rumored dual-screen 'iPhone Duo' concept. The poll suggests persistent skepticism toward foldables in general, with voters still preferring an established competitor's design.
The foldable phone category began in 2019 with Royole's FlexPai, an awkward but functional first commercial device using flexible OLED. Samsung's Galaxy Fold followed the same year but suffered widespread screen failures tied to a misunderstood protective layer, forcing a delay and redesign. Huawei took a different approach with the outward-folding Mate X, which looked elegant but left its display exposed to scratches and was never sold in the US due to sanctions.