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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.
CNET ran 120 hours of battery testing across 2026 smartphone models and found the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max led the pack, alongside foldables like the Motorola Razr (2026) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which use silicon-carbon batteries for added capacity without bulkier hardware. The newly released iPhone Duo tied for the top result in one test, while overall average battery life across 2026 phones matched results from 2024 and 2025.
Amazon is selling the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for $1,599.99, a $300 markdown from its $1,899.99 list price, representing a 16% discount. The retailer says this matches the second-lowest price recorded since the foldable's launch.
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.
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.
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.
Samsung officially unveiled the W27, a China-exclusive luxury version of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra with a gold-toned textured frame and dark red or blue rear covers. It shares the same core specs—an 8-inch folding OLED display, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 5,000mAh battery, and 200MP main camera—but is only offered in 16GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB configurations, priced at roughly $2,852 and $3,303 respectively.
According to leaker Lanzuk citing display supply chain sources, Samsung is internally evaluating two additional versions of its wide foldable successor: a larger 'Plus'-style model and a cheaper, spec-reduced 'FE'-style model. Only one of these is expected to actually launch alongside the previously reported Galaxy Z Fold 9 Wide, with an internal decision reportedly pending. The plans are still in early testing and wouldn't reach the market until mid-2027 at the earliest.
Leaker Evan Blass has posted images showing the Samsung W27 foldable in an Aura Blue colorway with extensive gold trim, visible from nearly every angle. The device is expected to launch this week exclusively in China, following Samsung's pattern of releasing a W-series variant alongside its global Galaxy Z Fold lineup.