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L’iPhone 18 est là, mais ce 17 Pro Max contre-attaque avec 170 € de remise

15 September 2026 at 13:00
L’iPhone 18 vient de pointer le bout de son écran, mais l’iPhone 17 Pro Max n’a pas rangé les armes. Toujours aussi musclé côté performances et photo, le smartphone Apple profite désormais d’une promotion séduisante chez Amazon.

Apple iPhone Duo vs. Xiaomi 18 Fold: Software matters

Apple iPhone Duo

Apple
iPhone Duo

Heavyweight

The iPhone Duo is heavier and thicker than Android foldables, but that isn’t going to make too much of a difference in day-to-day use. The plus point is that it has IP68 ingress protection, and a build quality that’s different to anything else we’ve seen on Android. Also, the software is the biggest differentiator, and the little I’ve seen of this makes me highly interested to use the iPhone Duo.

Xiaomi 18 Fold

Xiaomi
18 Fold

Sublime

Make no mistake: the Xiaomi 18 Fold has the best design of any wide foldable, and Xiaomi deserves credit for slotting in a dedicated tele lens into the device. It is a full 35g lighter than the iPhone Duo, but you still somehow get a huge 6,000mAh battery. The custom Xring 03 silicon is intriguing, and the only issue with the 18 Fold is that it is limited to China, so you don’t get the best software — there’s no Play Store or other Google services.

Apple iPhone Duo vs. Xiaomi 18 Fold: Design and display

Split View multitasking on the iPhone Duo

(Image credit: Apple)

I like the design of wide foldables as they’re much easier to hold and use than traditional book-style devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. The iPhone Duo looks interesting thanks to the 5.4-inch outer panel, and it unfolds to a 7.6-inch inner panel. The Xiaomi 18 Fold has similarly-sized displays as well, but when it comes to resolution, the iPhone Duo comes out ahead.

That said, the biggest issue with the iPhone Duo is the weight; at 254g, it is the heaviest of any 2026 foldable, and the Xiaomi 18 Fold is 35g lighter. Now, to give you some context, it is 5g heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but the point stands that it is a hefty device. Obviously, we’ll need to see how that makes a difference in daily use; weight distribution matters a lot on a foldable, and I’ll share findings once I used the Duo.

The Xiaomi 18 Fold split screen apps

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

What I like is that the Duo gets IP68 dust and water resistance. It is the only foldable other Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold and 10 Pro Fold to have this feature, and it will make a genuine difference in regular use. The 18 Fold has IP58 and IP59 ingress protection, and it should do a good enough job in outdoor use.

Also, the design itself is exquisite on the Duo, and the blue color looks stunning. Something you don’t see (but will make a difference) is the inner panel. The iPhone Duo uses layers of ultra-thin glass sandwiched over the panels, and it should give it much better resilience against deformation — which is an issue with most foldables. Xiaomi, to its credit, delivered what is arguably the best-looking wide foldable in the 18 Fold, and the svelte design along with the bright red hue is brilliant.

Apple iPhone Duo vs. Xiaomi 18 Fold: Hardware

The Xiaomi 18 Fold external display

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

What’s notable about the internals is that both foldables use custom silicon. The iPhone Duo uses the latest A20 Pro, and the 2nm platform has much better power than last year, and it should deliver meaningful upgrades on the battery side of things. Xiaomi is using the Xring 03 silicon with the 18 Fold, and I’m excited to get my hands so I can test it — it’s not often we get a new player that can beat Qualcomm at its own game.

Xiaomi also has a distinct advantage with the battery, and the 18 Fold has a 6,000mAh battery that easily lasts over a day. the iPhone Duo should last a day as well, but this is something I’ll need to test. The 18 Fold has 67W USB PD charging tech, but what I like is that the iPhone Duo has 25W MagSafe, making it that much more convenient to use. Annoyingly, Xiaomi doesn’t have built-in magnets, so you can’t just use a Qi 2.2 charger with the device.

Category

Apple iPhone Duo

Xiaomi 18 Fold

Display

Outer: 5.4-inch ProMotion LTPO OLED, 2034x1398

Inner: 7.6-inch ProMotion LTPO OLED, 2670x1878

Outer: 5.38-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1712x1168

Inner: 7.58-inch LTPO AMOLED, 2364x1672

Operating System

iOS 27, at least seven updates

Android 17

Chipset

Apple A20 Pro, 2nm

Xiaomi XRing O3, 3nm

RAM

12GB

12GB/16GB

Storage

256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Rear cameras

Main: 48MP f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS

Wide-angle: 48MP f/2.2

Main: 200MP f/1.7, OIS

Tele: 50MP f/2.8, 3x tele

Wide-angle: 50MP f/2.4

Front camera

12MP

16MP

Ingress Protection

IP68

IP58/IP59

Battery

4,700mAh

6,000mAh

Charging

40W, 25W MagSafe/Qi 2

67W PD 3.0, 50W HyperCharge

Dimensions

Folded: 117.8 x 84.1 x 11.3mm

Unfolded: 117.8 x 164.6 x 5.2mm

Folded: 83.6 x 117.8 x 10.7mm

Unfolded:163.8 x 117.8 x 5.0mm

Weight

254g

219g

Colors

Night Sky, Star White

Red, Rose gold, Silver, Grey

The iPhone Duo has two 48MP cameras — a main camera and wide-angle lens — but you don’t get a telephoto lens. This is annoying, as the tele lens is the one I use the most. That’s why it’s refreshing to see Xiaomi providing the lens on the 18 Fold; its foldable has a 200MP main camera, 50MP tele lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP wide-angle lens. Just having a tele lens gives the device a huge advantage, and Xiaomi is the only brand doing so on a wide foldable.

Apple iPhone Duo vs. Xiaomi 18 Fold: Software

Split screen multitasking on iPhone Duo

(Image credit: Apple)

Where the iPhone Duo has a sizable lead is the software; it’s clear that iOS 27 has plenty of custom features to maximize the real estate on the foldable. What’s great to see is that the toggles and the taskbar are oriented on the right, and while it’s a small thing, it makes a difference in usability.

The main problem with the Xiaomi 18 Fold is that it is limited to China, so you have to use the Chinese iteration of the brand’s skin. There are issues with push notifications, aggressive memory management, and there’s no Play Store or Google services out of the box. If you're an enthusiast and have used Chinese software previously, you can wrangle the 18 Fold to work the way you want (I plan on doing that), but it is a hassle.

Apple iPhone Duo vs. Xiaomi 18 Fold: Which should you buy?

Dual view photo capture on iPhone Duo

(Image credit: Apple)

I’ll make this easy: if you like the look of a wide foldable, you should get the iPhone Duo. Although the Xiaomi 18 Fold has arguably better internals, the software is not ideal, and I wouldn’t recommend getting it as a result. Xiaomi needs to do a better job bringing its foldables to global regions, because the 18 Fold deserves a wide rollout.

Of course, the iPhone Duo is costlier than any other iPhone, but not by too much than the latest Pro models. There's no doubt that the 18 Fold gives you a better overall value (as these things go), but with Xiaomi choosing not to launch the foldable globally, this is a moot point.

Apple iPhone Duo

Apple
iPhone Duo

Heavyweight

The iPhone Duo is the default choice if you need a wide foldable. The Xiaomi 18 Fold has better internals, but the Duo arguably has the better software, and it is launching in over 75 countries.

5 things Android should steal from the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro

Many years and even more rumors later, Apple's first foldable phone is finally official. The iPhone Duo is the company's first stab at a folding phone, and it's not the only new phone Apple launched at its annual September event. We got our first look at the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, too. In a major change of pace, Apple didn't announce the base-model iPhone 18, but there are plenty of new features and improvements to speak of.

Apple stole its fair share of features from Android, but the pendulum swings both ways. There are a handful of features I'd love my favorite Android phones to steal from the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max. There are even more features Apple included on its new iPhones that are available as niche offerings on Android, but aren't ubiquitous. Here's to hoping these five iPhone features are onboard your next Android phone.

The iPhone Duo's foldable nano-texture display

iPhone Duo's anti-reflective inner display

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple didn't launch its first foldable, the iPhone Duo, without a crease. It still has one down the middle of the folding display, just like all the Android foldables that came before it. However, it used a clever trick to minimize the crease's visibility during normal use. The folding display is covered by a matte, nano-texture surface. This reduces glare, reflections, fingerprints, and yes, it makes the crease more difficult to spot.

While some foldables have anti-reflective inner display coatings, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, none of them have a matte finish. This is new for the iPhone Duo, and it solves a few major pain points of using glossy plastic foldable display coverings. For one, it'll be easier to see in broad daylight and won't pick up those nasty fingerprints. It's also strong enough to support the Apple Pencil. Most importantly, it hides the crease in normal viewing conditions, since light reflections are really what makes the crease appear pronounced.

I've used Apple's nano-texture finish on other products before, like the iPad Pro, and I'm excited to see it on the iPhone Duo. I'd love to see a matte display covering on future Android foldables, too.

Under-display camera

iPhone Duo's flex mode

(Image credit: Apple)

Android phones pioneered the under-display camera (UDC), but then they abandoned it. Samsung had a UDC on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 through Galaxy Z Fold 6, and it helped make the main screen feel more immersive. Now, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra have a hole-punch camera smack dab in the top middle of the right half of the phone. It gets in the way of your content, especially if you decide to rotate the device.

Motorola and Google do a better job with their hole-punch cameras, sticking them in the top-right corner, where they're less intrusive. However, I wish Samsung never removed the UDC from the Galaxy Z Fold lineup, and hope that the iPhone Duo's UDC will spark a revival of the trend. Apple's new UDC can handle 1080p video recording at 30FPS or 60FPS, making it good enough for video calls, which is what the front-facing camera on the folding display will primarily be used for.

At the same time, the UDC is hidden just enough to make the iPhone Duo's folding display feel complete no matter the orientation. That's important for a wide foldable like the iPhone Duo or Galaxy Z Fold 8, because they work just as well in portrait as landscape when unfolded.

Variable aperture

The variable aperture lens on the iPhone 18 Pro.

(Image credit: Apple)

There's another iPhone feature that could revival an old Android one, and this time, it's on the iPhone 18 Pro. The two "Pro" phones have a variable aperture primary shooter that can move from f/1.8 to f/4.0, depending on the situation. Apple did this by adding six laser-cut blades to the 48MP main camera that move to transition between different apertures.

It's controllable by the user thanks to the new Pro controls in the Camera app. The iPhone 18 Pro's main camera supports manual adjustments to lens aperture, shutter speed, and white balance. There's also a histogram that shows exposure levels to help you refine the shot. The hardware is the interesting part, though, as variable aperture allows one camera to do the work of multiple specialized lenses.

Once people get their hands on the iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture, it might spark an Android revival. However, we wanted Android to steal the iPhone 17's square CenterStage camera last year, and that hasn't happened yet.

iPhone Handoff

Apple iPhone Duo official renders

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple is working with carriers to add an iPhone Handoff feature, and while it's not strictly exclusive to the iPhone Duo or iPhone 18 Pro, it's certainly worth mentioning. The feature lets you use a single phone line with two iPhones at once. A primary eSIM profile is loaded onto one device, and a secondary eSIM profile is loaded onto a companion device. The phone you're using will automatically connect to your carrier's network automatically.

It's a great way to use two iPhones at once. The timing isn't a coincidence — iPhone Handoff lets you use your phone like with an iPhone Duo and a "regular" iPhone simultaneously. I'd love to have something similar on Android. I could keep a primary eSIM on a Galaxy S26 and a secondary eSIM on a Galaxy Z Fold 8, all using the same phone line.

For now, it's limited to T-Mobile in the U.S., and it won't come free with your plan. There'll be an extra fee, similar to adding an LTE smartwatch to your line.

iOS 27 foldable animations

Split screen multitasking on iPhone Duo

(Image credit: Apple)

Finally, there's the software. I admit, after seeing Apple's iOS and iPadOS missteps over the past few years, I had my doubts about the iPhone Duo's software. Apple proved me wrong. There are a ton of software tweaks that make me, and others on the Android Central team, more excited to try it than any other foldable. For me, it starts with the dock. Using the extra vertical space on the right side of the iPhone Duo for launching apps and key controls is genius.

The animations are even better. When you open up an iPhone Duo, the cover screen blurs and dissolves into the main screen. It's an intuitive experience that makes the folding transition feel like a transformation rather than a friction point.

This iPhone duo animation https://t.co/y7NftWpyXSSeptember 9, 2026

Apple did steal some Android foldable favorites for the Duo, like Flex mode, Split view, and Made You Look (called Kid Cue on the iPhone Duo). However, it definitely jazzed the software up, and Android could stand to borrow some of the animations and design features.

Honorable mentions: IP68, Qi2, pen support, and vapor chamber

The A20 Pro chip inside the iPhone Duo.

(Image credit: Apple)

There are a collection of iPhone Duo features that are available scattered across different Android foldables, but are not found on one device.

Motorola's Razr Fold has an active stylus that works on both the cover screen and foldable display, like the iPhone Duo. Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold has the same Qi2 and IP68 support as the iPhone Duo, and also has a vapor chamber for its chip, but lacks pen input. Honor's Magic V6 has a higher IP69 rating, but lacks Qi2 and a vapor chamber.

You get the idea. If I picked and chose my favorite features from the best Android foldables, I could build an iPhone Duo competitor. But that Android device — one with IP68, Qi2, stylus support, a vapor chamber, a UDC, and a nano-texture display — does not exist yet. That's why the iPhone Duo feels like a complete foldable package for fans, and it's exactly what Android phone makers should copy.

6 iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro features Apple copied from Samsung, Motorola, and Google

The new iPhones are finally here. After months of leaks and rumors, Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro series alongside its first-ever foldable smartphone, called the iPhone Duo, at its September 9, 2026, launch event.

The iPhone Duo marks Apple's first entry into the foldable phone market, though Android manufacturers have been selling foldable phones for nearly a decade.

And as is usually the case with a new iPhone launch, Apple has brought a bunch of features to its ecosystem that Android users might find pretty familiar. Here are some of the biggest iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro features that Samsung or Google did first.

The iPhone Duo's passport-style design

Apple iPhone Duo official renders

(Image credit: Apple)

The iPhone Duo isn't the first foldable phone we've seen, of course. Samsung has been experimenting with book-style foldables for years, while Apple is only just jumping on the bandwagon.

And if you think Apple's shorter and wider passport-style form factor is something new, that's not the case either. Google's first-generation Pixel Fold used a very similar approach, with a shorter and wider cover display that unfolded into a more tablet-like inner screen.

More recently, Samsung has adopted a similar form factor with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, while the Xiaomi 18 Fold we saw at IFA 2026 also follows the same wider design. So while the iPhone Duo might be Apple's first foldable, the form factor itself is anything but new.

Stylus support and hidden cameras

Using the AI doodle feature on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The iPhone Duo supports Apple Pencil on both the outer and inner displays, so you can use the stylus to jot down notes, draw, or mark things up on either screen. But this isn't the first time we've seen stylus support on a foldable phone.

Samsung offered S Pen support on its Galaxy Z Fold phones for years before eventually dropping it from its newer models. And even today, you can find other foldables with stylus support, including the Motorola Razr Fold.

Another feature Apple seems to have borrowed from Android foldables is the under-display camera on the inner screen. Samsung used an under-display camera on several generations of Galaxy Z Fold phones before finally dropping it with last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. However, we're curious to see if Apple's implementation is any better.

Samsung beat Apple to the anti-reflective inner display

iPhone Duo's anti-reflective inner display

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple's iPhone Duo comes with a 7.6-inch inner display, and one thing Apple talked at length about is its specialized matte nano-texture finish, which, in simpler terms, is an anti-reflective coating.

The inner display on any foldable phone can be quite reflective because of the materials used to make the screen flexible. Adding an anti-reflective coating should reduce those reflections and make things like watching videos or reading content much easier in bright light.

But again, we're not seeing this for the first time. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, which launched earlier this year, also features an anti-reflective coating on its inner display. Apple's implementation may turn out to be better or more advanced, and we'll have to put both phones side by side to know for sure. But the idea of reducing reflections on a foldable's inner display is great, though certainly isn't new.

Samsung has been doing Flex Mode for years

iPhone Duo's flex mode

(Image credit: Apple)

Unlike the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8, which either stays fully open or snaps shut, the iPhone Duo's hinge can hold the phone open at different angles. This means you can partially fold the iPhone Duo and prop it up to take photos with the rear cameras or just watch videos on one half of the display.

It sounds great, but again, Apple isn't the first to do this. Samsung offers similar functionality on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra with Flex Mode and has offered it on previous generations of Galaxy Z Fold phones as well. Samsung has even optimized several apps to take advantage of the partially folded position, so this is another area where Apple is following an idea we've already seen on Android foldables.

The iPhone finally gets proper manual camera controls

Taking a picture of flowers at 5x zoom using a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Switching our focus (pun intended) to the iPhone 18 Pro models, another new feature this year is what Apple calls "Pro Controls," which essentially brings proper manual camera controls to the iPhone for the first time.

You can now manually adjust things like aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and other camera settings instead of relying entirely on Apple's automatic processing. It shifts the iPhone from being primarily a point-and-shoot camera to giving serious photographers much more control over the final image.

But again, this isn't exactly new. Pro and manual camera modes have been available on Android flagships for years, with phones from Samsung and other manufacturers already letting users manually adjust these settings.

Split screen, App Pairs, Dual View, and more

Dual view photo capture on iPhone Duo

(Image credit: Apple)

Finally, the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro offer plenty of software features we've previously seen on Android smartphones.

The iPhone Duo, for example, finally brings proper split-screen multitasking, letting you run two apps side by side on the larger inner display. You can also save two apps together as an App Pair and quickly relaunch them in split screen later.

There's also Dual View, where the cover display can act as a viewfinder for the person you're photographing while you're using the rear cameras. Again, these are useful additions, but they're features Motorola and other Android foldable makers have offered in some form for years.

So while Apple's implementation might be different or more polished in certain areas, quite a few of the iPhone Duo's headline software features will feel very familiar if you've used an Android foldable before.

And if you haven't used one before, we have a handy guide on why you should buy a foldable and what you can expect.

New iPhone Duo foldable gets wild, cheeky responses from Samsung and... Duolingo???

What you need to know

  • Duolingo was incredibly cheeky on social media over Apple's iPhone Duo announcement, stating, "They named a phone after me and made it bend over."
  • Samsung followed up in "solidarity" with the app; however, it continued to post throughout Apple's event, stating, "Making us wait? Fine. We'll be over here, folding 3 ways."
  • The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable with a 7.6-inch inner screen and a 5.4-inch cover display with a whopping $1,999 price tag (to start).

The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable phone. The company has finally entered the foldable game, and it's drawn the attention of two notable brands in humorous (and cheeky) ways.

Apple's event wrapped up this afternoon, but Duolingo was first on the ball with the response. No other way to say it: Duolingo was as cheeky as cheeky could be on X today (Sept 9) as word about Apple's iPhone Duo made its rounds. Duolingo said, "They named a phone after me and made it bend over." As unhinged as this post was, Duolingo quickly followed it up with positivity: there's more screen space for your language lessons.

As the event wound down, Samsung got involved. Samsung has been in the foldable game for years now, and this is Apple's first one. The Korean OEM posted in solidarity with Duolingo this afternoon. Samsung said, "I'm so sorry, Duolingo. They copied us too." The friendly banter between the two companies continued, with the language learning app posting a photo that read, "We infringed upon."

However, Samsung was posting the entire time Apple's event was running. The company said, "So far, so same" at one point, then followed it up with "Accessories? It’s giving condiments and no food. #ItsTimeToSwitch." And what could be seen as its most... um, interesting post was "Making us wait? Fine. We'll be over here, folding 3 ways." Let's also not forget Samsung said the iPhone Duo's bedside clock mode was "giving groundhog day."

You could say this was coming. People have been wondering (and waiting) for a foldable from Apple for years. There have been post upon post of speculation. Renders upon renders of its purported design, too. Now, we finally have it, and it'll be up to the consumers to determine if it's worth it.

Welcome the iPhone Duo

Duolingo got incredibly cheeky on X, poking fun at Apple's iPhone Duo, saying it named a phone after them.

(Image credit: Duolingo / X)
Android Central's Take

Unhinged and cheeky from Duolingo—I approve. The iPhone Duo is a decent looking device. It's certainly something new that Apple iPhone consumers might enjoy. This is nothing new for Android users, though. What's more, I dare say Android foldables are a little bit beyond Apple. Not sure how long that'll last, though. This is Apple's first one, there are kinks it can work on ironing out. Let's see how things go from here, especially after we get it in our hands.

The iPhone Duo was the "one last thing" from Apple this afternoon. Everyone was waiting for it, and it confirmed the foldable will feature a 7.6-inch inner screen and a 5.4-inch cover display. When unfolded, the device is 5.3mm thick; however, it is 254g, roughly 53g heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Apple's foldable is also a bit heavier than Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Apple had to rework its software a bit for the foldable. Your key navigational buttons and the like are consistently positioned vertically on the right side. What's more, as you'd expect with a device like this, your apps will adapt depending on its orientation. Apple announced the phone in two colorways: Star White and Night Sky.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, with pre-orders beginning on October 16 before an October 23 market release. We're breaking down everything you need to know in full detail.

The iPhone Duo is here, and it will convince you to buy a foldable

The iPhone Duo is finally official, and there's plenty of cool features in the wider-style foldable. Apple says it combined a "thoughtful design with breakthrough engineering," and that the name signifies how the foldable is basically two products in one — a phone and a tablet. The naming makes that patently clear, but it isn't the most original — Microsoft may have something to say about that.

Anyway, the iPhone Duo isn't like the usual book-style foldables, instead following a wider and shorter design that Apple says is intuitive to use. This is essentially identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Xiaomi 18 Fold, and now that the iPhone Duo is official, I'd wager we get a lot of similar Android-based foldables that follow a similar style.

There's a 5.4-inch outer panel and a 7.6-inch inner panel, and the chassis is made out of titanium. At 5.3mm unfolded and a weight of 254g, it isn't quite as thin or light as the latest generation of Android foldables — even the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is lighter by 15g — but the iPhone Duo has IP68 dust and water resistance, and that in itself is a big deal.

Apple iPhone Duo official renders

(Image credit: Apple)

What's unique with the inner panel is that Apple is using two layers of glass sandwiched together, and this ensures that the panel doesn't deform with long-term use. This is a big enough problem on foldables, and it's good to see Apple coming up with a novel solution immediately; we should see a similar system used by at least Google on the Pixel 12 Pro Fold next year. There's also a nano-texture coating on the inner panel to reduce glare, and this is bound to make a difference.

The iPhone Duo will be available in Star White and Night Sky colors, with the latter delivering a blue hue that looks great. The hinge itself is touted to have a smooth articulation and a custom torque profile, and it is designed to fold fully flat — something that took Samsung six years to get right.

The hinge stays open at various angles, and that's good to see as well as it unlocks new use cases while taking photos or viewing content on the go. You can even use the iPhone Duo as a glorified bedside clock, and I like that it has a new StandBy mode that's usable even when it isn't being charged.

Apple iPhone Duo official renders

(Image credit: Apple)

There's no Face ID; instead, you get Touch ID that's baked into the power button, similar to the iPad Mini and most Android foldables. Another thing that's good is the camera on the inner panel; it's visible when you're making calls, but otherwise hidden away.

What I like is the ability to use the Apple Pencil with the iPhone Duo; that feature will come later in the year, and as someone who uses the stylus constantly, I'm excited about this.

The software in general looks great; the Liquid Glass interface switches effortlessly between the outer and inner panels, and Apple moved UI elements to a vertical position to accommodate the unique size of the iPhone Duo. The dock is located vertically, giving you better real estate when using the inner panel, and there's good multitasking features — you get split-screen multitasking similar to the iPad.

Apple iPhone Duo official renders

(Image credit: Apple)

Coming to the internals, the iPhone Duo is powered by the latest A20 Pro silicon, which is built on a new 2nm node that delivers much better efficiency. It starts with 256GB of storage, going up to 2TB.

What isn't so great is the camera system; you get a 48MP main camera and a 48MP wide-angle lens, but there's no dedicated telephoto camera on the device. This was the case on the Z Fold 8 as well, and it's annoying that the lens that most of use regularly is missing on the device.

The iPhone Duo will go on pre-order starting October 16 for $1,999. Thankfully, it is getting a global launch and will be available in more than 70 countries on launch day, and heading to 28 additional regions by the end of October. What isn't great is the pricing; the iPhone Duo costs a lot more in other regions — it starts at closer to $2,700.

Apple iPhone Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: It could just come down to one thing

Apple iPhone Ultra leak

Apple iPhone Ultra

A bold new entrant

The iPhone Ultra is set to usher in the age of the foldable iPhone, and leaks point to a device that has the potential to be truly noteworthy.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Samsung
Galaxy Z Fold 8

Short and sweet

The Z Fold 8 is uniquely interesting, and while it may not have the best cameras, it makes foldable fun to use.

Apple iPhone Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Pricing and availability

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a passport

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The iPhone Ultra is slated to make its debut at Apple's launch event on September 9, 2026. The foldable could cost anywhere between $2,000 to $2,500, and we'll have to wait until the event to know the official pricing. But with Apple hiking prices on most of its products in the last two months, it's a given that this year's iPhones will see price increases across the board.

Even if the iPhone Ultra is unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, it may not actually show up at the same time — the latest leaks point to general availability later in the year. Again, that's something we will know definitely on September 9. Given the cost, it is projected that the foldable will be available in limited quantities — much like the Galaxy Z TriFold — and it remains to be seen if it will be sold in all regions simultaneously.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 on July 22, 2026, and the foldable retails at $1,899. This is the base model with 256GB of storage, and there's also a 512GB edition that costs $2,099 in the U.S., and a 1TB model that is $2,499.

Apple iPhone Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Design

Holding a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The iPhone Ultra will be different to every other iPhone thus far, with the foldable design ushering in an entirely new form factor for iOS. Leaks point to the iPhone Ultra having a similar wide-and-short configuration as the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the passport-style design is definitely intriguing — there's no wonder that other Android manufacturers are emulating a similar style.

Leaks point to a 5.5-inch cover panel and a 7.8-inch inner panel, and the iPhone Ultra could be as thin as 4.5mm while unfolded, bringing it in line with the Z Fold 8 and other Android foldables. The design looks a lot like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, with rounded edges and a flatter profile along the hinge. While Apple introduced a bright orange color with the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone Ultra is said to be available in muted colors, including white and black.

Just like Android foldables, the iPhone Ultra may see Touch ID housed within the power button as the standard mode of authentication instead of Face ID. The Z Fold 8 gets a 5.5-inch cover panel and a 7.6-inch inner screen, and Samsung managed to deliver IP48 dust and water resistance.

Interestingly, one of the biggest selling points of the iPhone Ultra could be a display without anu visible crease. The Find N6 and Vivo X Fold 5 do a fabulous job in this regard — they're better than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra — and with the iPhone Ultra touted to use two layers of ultra-thin glass and a liquid-metal hinge, it is entirely possible that Apple's foldable will debut with a creaseless design, outshining Samsung's Z Fold 8 in this key area.

Apple iPhone Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Hardware

Mockup of iPhone Fold based on iPhone Air

(Image credit: Apple / Android Central)

The iPhone Ultra will see the biggest battery of any iPhone, and that in itself is exciting. Leaks point to a 4,883mAh battery, and that's similar to what's available on the Z Fold 8. That said, iOS has much better efficiency in general, so the iPhone Ultra should have better battery life, and with Apple touted to switch to a 2nm node, battery life could get an additional boost.

Category

Apple iPhone Ultra (based on leaks)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Display

Outer: 5.5-inch ProMotion LTPO OLED, 2088 x 1422

Inner: 7.8-inch ProMotion LTPO OLED

Outer: 5.5-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED, 1972 x 1248

Inner: 7.6-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED, 2448 x 1848

Operating System

iOS 27, at least seven updates

One UI 9 (Android 17), seven updates

Chipset

Apple A20, 2nm

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, 3nm

RAM

12GB

12GB/16GB

Storage

256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Rear cameras

Main: 48MP f/1.8, sensor-shift OIS

Wide-angle: 48MP f/2.2

Main: 50MP f/1.8, OIS

Wide-angle: 50MP f/1.9

Front camera

24MP

10MP (internal), 10MP (external)

Battery

4,883mAh

4,800mAh (dual 2,400mAh cells)

Charging

40W iPhone 17 Pro, 25W MagSafe/Qi 2

45W wired, 20W wireless

Dimensions

Folded: 120.6 x 83.8 x 9.2mm

Unfolded: 120.6 x 167.6 x 4.5mm

Folded: 123.9 x 81.9 x 9.7mm

Unfolded: 123.9 x 161.4 x 4.5mm

Wide foldables are smaller than book-style devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and as a result, Samsung just went with two cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 8: a 50MP main camera and 50MP wide-angle lens.

The iPhone Ultra is likely to use a similar arrangement, and leaks point to two 48MP cameras, without a dedicated tele lens. We'll need to wait and see if that pans out, but as someone who uses the telephoto lens constantly, I would like to see this on the foldable.

Apple iPhone Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Software

A YouTube video on a folded Galaxy Z Fold 8

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Software makes a big difference on a foldable, with the added real estate ideal to multitask. This is a priority in iOS 27, and there's no doubt that the iPhone Ultra will get a lot of the same features that we've seen on Android foldables over the last two years, including a task bar, floating windows, and multitasking features.

Samsung does a good job in this area with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and I'm interested in seeing how the iPhone Ultra will hold up against Samsung's foldable.

Apple iPhone Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Which should you buy?

Apple iPhone Ultra leak

(Image credit: AppleTrack)

While foldables have been around for the better part of a decade now, they're still pretty niche. That will change with the introduction of the iPhone Ultra; say what you will about Apple, but the brand has an unmatched ability to grab attention, and interest in foldables will skyrocket following the iPhone Ultra launch.

Now, whether this will translate to sales is another thing entirely, but if you're an iPhone user and wanted to switch to a foldable, you don't need to wait long to get one running iOS. While Samsung got a lot right with the Z Fold 8, it doesn't do nearly enough to convince iOS users to move to Android in any meaningful numbers.

Apple iPhone Ultra leak

Apple iPhone Ultra

A bold new entrant

The iPhone Ultra is set to launch soon, and with a similar design as the Z Fold 8 but with iOS, it could just be the device that convinces iPhone users to switch to a foldable.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Samsung
Galaxy Z Fold 8

Short and sweet

Samsung nailed the brief with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the unique size of the foldable makes it stand out.

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