iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8: Price, Specs, Display, Camera and Battery Compared

Apple has entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, giving consumers a new premium option alongside Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. Both devices offer large foldable displays and flagship-level performance, but they differ considerably in design, cameras, processors, battery technology and pricing.

The iPhone Duo starts at nearly Rs 3 lakh in India and is scheduled to go on sale in late October. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is already available, with prices starting at Rs 1,79,999.

In terms of design, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is considerably lighter. It weighs 201 grams and features a Flex Titanium chassis along with an Armour FlexHinge. The phone measures 4.5mm when unfolded and 9.7mm when folded. Its 5.5-inch cover display uses a 16:10 aspect ratio.

The iPhone Duo weighs 254 grams when unfolded and features a Grade 5 titanium frame and hinge cover. It uses Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the rear and comes with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The outer display measures 5.4 inches, allowing the folded phone to retain a familiar smartphone-like form factor.

For users prioritising a lighter and slimmer foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has an advantage. The iPhone Duo, meanwhile, focuses on a denser construction and premium materials.

Both smartphones feature a 7.6-inch internal display, but Apple and Samsung have taken different approaches to the screen design.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 uses a 4:3 inner display with a 120Hz QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel and up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Samsung has designed the wider inner screen to provide a content-focused viewing experience.

The iPhone Duo features a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display with ProMotion support of up to 120Hz and Always-On functionality. Apple says the display can reach up to 3,000 nits of outdoor brightness. The device also features an under-display selfie camera, eliminating a visible punch-hole, along with a nano-texture coating designed to make the crease less noticeable.

The processor is another major point of difference. The iPhone Duo is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip, manufactured using a 2-nanometre process. It features a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and dual 16-core Neural Engine. Apple has also introduced a custom vapour chamber cooling system and increased memory bandwidth compared with the previous generation.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor. It is available with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage in its highest configuration.

Both phones are positioned as flagship foldables, with their performance differences ultimately depending on how Apple’s iOS ecosystem and Samsung’s Android experience utilise the respective hardware.

The camera systems also follow different approaches. The iPhone Duo features a 48-megapixel Dual Fusion camera system comprising a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with 2x optical-quality zoom and a 48-megapixel Fusion ultra-wide camera offering a 120-degree field of view. It does not include a dedicated telephoto lens.

Apple has also introduced a foldable-specific photography feature that allows users to prop up the iPhone Duo and use the outer display as a viewfinder. This can enable users to capture selfies with the higher-resolution rear cameras.

Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a dual 50-megapixel camera setup. The company has opted for a simpler camera configuration compared with the more advanced triple-camera system available on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Battery comparisons between the two phones are more complicated because Apple and Samsung provide battery information differently. Apple has not disclosed the battery capacity of the iPhone Duo, instead highlighting its claimed battery life.

The iPhone Duo uses a dual-battery design and is rated for up to 31 hours of video playback when using the internal display. Using the outer display can provide up to 44 hours of video playback, according to Apple. The phone can also reach around 50 per cent charge in approximately 20 minutes using a compatible fast wired charger.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 4,800mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging. Samsung provides the battery capacity directly rather than primarily describing battery performance through playback figures.

Price is where the two foldables show their biggest difference. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at Rs 1,79,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant. The 16GB RAM and 1TB storage version costs Rs 2,39,999.

The iPhone Duo starts at nearly Rs 3 lakh in India, making Apple’s foldable significantly more expensive than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Even Samsung’s 1TB Fold 8 configuration remains around Rs 60,000 cheaper than the iPhone Duo’s starting price.

The iPhone Duo therefore targets consumers willing to pay a substantial premium for Apple’s first foldable smartphone, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 offers a lighter design and lower entry price with Samsung’s established foldable technology.