GoKawiil
Tech News
CNET photographed scenes at a Bay Area garden using Apple's iPhone Duo and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, two book-style foldables that start around $1,900-$1,999 for 256GB. Neither phone includes a telephoto lens; the Duo has dual 48MP wide and ultrawide cameras while the Z Fold 8 has dual 50MP wide and ultrawide cameras, alongside differing selfie camera setups on their cover and inner screens.
In an opinion piece, Android Authority's Joe Maring lays out four reasons he would recommend a foldable phone and four reasons he wouldn't, pointing to devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the rumored iPhone Duo. He highlights the large unfolded display and improved multitasking as key benefits, while noting tradeoffs that make foldables unsuitable for everyone.
A tech reviewer who has tested nearly every Android foldable released this year compared them to Apple's new iPhone Duo, finding its hardware—including hinge mechanism and build materials—competitive with rivals like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Xiaomi 18 Fold. However, the reviewer noted the Duo's cover display feels cramped due to a right-hand rail that limits usable space, and the device is heavier than comparable foldables, making one-handed use difficult.
Korean leaker Lanzuk reports that Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 9 and Fold 9 Ultra will carry over camera hardware from their predecessors. The Fold 9 Ultra is said to keep a 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, and 3x optical telephoto setup, while the standard Fold 9 reportedly retains a 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide dual-camera configuration.
An Android Authority reviewer who has used every US foldable released this year, including Motorola, Samsung and Google models, spent five days testing Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo. The device ships unfolded with a nano-texture matte finish on its folding screen, created via laser-etched microlenses over each pixel, which diffuses glare but also dims and desaturates the display compared to glossy foldables.
Google has released the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, an incremental update to last year's foldable that keeps the same overall design but adds a lighter body, a brighter display, improved wireless charging and an updated camera sensor. The device is thinner and 19 grams lighter than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and Google says durability has tripled thanks to a new glass-ceramic cover and glass-fiber composite back.
Android Authority published a cost comparison examining when fixing a smartphone, such as replacing a battery or screen, remains cheaper than buying a new device, factoring in insurance and repair pricing. The piece was prompted partly by reports that a display replacement for Apple's new foldable iPhone could cost nearly as much as a new iPhone 18 Pro. It also notes that slowing year-on-year smartphone innovation and longer software support windows make older phones more viable to keep repairing.
Apple's new foldable iPhone Duo, priced at $1,999, features a 5.4-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch inner display, measuring 11.3mm thick when folded and weighing 254 grams. A hands-on size comparison shows the Duo is notably shorter than the $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max, which has a 6.9-inch screen, is 8.75mm thick, and weighs 249 grams, despite the two devices having similar weight.
Samsung released an Instagram ad for its Galaxy Z Fold 8 that shows a sliced apple rolling past its foldable phone lineup from 2019 through 2026, taking aim at Apple's recently launched iPhone Duo. The ad highlights that the $1,900 Z Fold 8, using new Flex Titanium display tech and silicon-carbon battery tech, is thinner and lighter than the $1,999 iPhone Duo.
CNET has been using a mechanical Fold-a-Phone machine to repeatedly open and close Apple's $1,999 iPhone Duo, reaching over 139,000 folds after a week of near-continuous testing. The crease remains visible when the screen is off but is largely hidden when the display is on, thanks to Apple's nano-texture matte coating, which also happens to be removable and replaceable through an Apple service.
Amazon has discounted the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold by $250, bringing it down from its $1,899 list price to $1,649, a 13% reduction. The retailer says this is the lowest price the foldable has reached since its launch. The device runs on Google's Tensor G6 chip with 16GB of RAM and features a triple-camera system, a book-style inner display, and a more usable outer screen.
Android Authority calculated the total cost of owning Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 versus Apple's rumored iPhone Duo for one year, factoring in launch prices, accessories, and potential repair or depreciation costs beyond the sticker price. The Z Fold 8 starts at $1,899.99 while the iPhone Duo is pegged at $1,999 and up, with both companies offering official cases priced between roughly $25 and $130.