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A tech commentary compares foldable phone screen sizes to compact tablets, noting devices like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra offer displays close in size to the iPad Mini's 8.3-inch screen. The piece argues that folding phones combine smartphone portability with tablet-like screen space, and can eliminate the need for a separate cellular data plan that many tablets require.
Reports indicate that sales of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 have increased following Apple's announcement of the iPhone Duo, its rumored foldable device. Samsung has responded by lowering prices on some of its foldable phones in certain markets. Foldables remain a small slice of the overall smartphone market, with IDC estimating 20.6 million foldable shipments last year against 1.25 billion total smartphone shipments.
Reports on Apple's foldable iPhone Duo say its screen uses a matte coating that reduces glare and makes the fold line less visible than on rival foldables. Early hands-on impressions describe the crease as more noticeable by touch than by sight, but reviewers note this only reflects the device's current, unused state.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 alongside two other foldables at its July Unpacked event, introducing a shorter, wider form factor distinct from prior Z Fold models. The device measures 123.9mm tall, 9.7mm thick folded and 4.5mm unfolded, weighing 201 grams, making it lighter than the Z Fold 8 Ultra. A hands-on review after two weeks of use found it a strong but not flawless entry into the wide-foldable category.
Multiple Samsung Galaxy device owners, mostly using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, report that YouTube videos freeze with audio still playing after switching away from the app and back. The issue has been discussed for weeks on a Korean Samsung community forum, with some users of the standard Z Fold 8 and Galaxy S26 Ultra also reporting similar problems. Samsung has not publicly responded to the reports.
Apple let reporters test its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, at Apple Park ahead of preorders opening Oct. 16 and a launch on Oct. 23. The device has a 5.4-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch inner display, and Apple showed how apps like Netflix will adapt across the cover screen, full inner display, and a half-folded mode with on-screen controls.
Android Authority compared selfie shots from three phones with under-display cameras—the REDMAGIC 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Redmi Note 17 Pro Max—against the backdrop of Apple's iPhone Duo foldable, which uses an under-display selfie camera for the first time. The tester found the REDMAGIC's photos oversharpened and smeared detail, while the Z Fold 8 produced more natural results despite a lower megapixel count, and the Redmi phone showed splotchy textures despite its 32MP sensor.
After spending a week testing both Apple's newly unveiled iPhone Duo and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, an Android Authority reviewer concludes he'd still choose Samsung's foldable if spending his own money. The comparison highlights that the iPhone Duo, unveiled at Apple's September 9 event under new CEO John Ternus, weighs 254 grams and measures 11.3mm folded, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 comes in at 201 grams and 9.7mm.
A Play Store app called Gadesk lets Galaxy Z Fold 8 owners run Samsung DeX's desktop interface directly on the phone's 7.6-inch inner screen, without needing an external monitor. The setup requires no rooting or sideloading, just installing the app and adjusting a few settings before DeX becomes usable standalone.
An Android Authority writer got hands-on time with Apple's newly unveiled iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, arriving over seven years after Android rivals entered the category. Despite weighing 254g—heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max—the device felt dense but well-balanced in hand rather than unwieldy, standing in contrast to the lighter, 201g Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Following Apple's unveiling of its $1,999 foldable iPhone Duo, Samsung's social media team launched a mocking campaign, calling the device 'so far, so same' and joking about 'reheated leftovers.' Samsung, which released the first mainstream foldable phone in 2019 and has since shipped around 20 models, is leaning on its years of foldable experience to needle Apple's late entry. Duolingo's owl mascot also joined in, joking about the 'Duo' name, while Apple executive John Ternus defended the device as an 'entirely new design' rather than 'two phones awkwardly stuck together.'
Leaker Lanzuk reports that Samsung is accelerating development of its next tri-fold phone, potentially moving the launch up to late 2026 or early 2027 from a previously expected late 2027 release. The move follows Apple's reveal of the iPhone Duo and strong early sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup, with Samsung reportedly aiming to keep pricing close to the original TriFold's $2,900 tag despite rising component costs.