iPhone Duo hits the Galaxy Z Fold 8 where it hurts the most

Samsung has been making foldables for the better part of seven years now, refining hinges, screens, and software with every generation. Apple is just now showing up to the party with its very first foldable, the iPhone Duo.

And yet, somehow, Apple’s rookie attempt is already taking direct aim at the areas where Samsung’s veteran foldables have quietly lost ground. Here are five spots where the iPhone Duo looks like it has the edge over the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

An under-display camera Samsung gave up on

Samsung was actually the first to bring an under-display camera to a foldable, hiding the selfie camera beneath the screen to keep that clean tablet look. But somewhere along the way, Samsung lost confidence in the idea and axed the under-display camera entirely on the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Apple, meanwhile, is bringing an under-display camera to the iPhone Duo’s inner screen. It’s not a groundbreaking new idea since Samsung got there first, but it’s a feature Apple gets to claim as an advantage right now, at least until Samsung decides to bring it back. 

The pencil support Samsung walked away from

Unfold a book-style foldable and what you’re really holding is a small tablet, and tablets have always made a good case for a stylus. That’s what makes Samsung’s decision so puzzling. The company practically built its foldable identity around the S Pen, yet it dropped stylus support entirely starting with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Apple is going the other way. The iPhone Duo will support Apple Pencil input on both the inner and outer displays. You can use it to sketch, mark up documents, or sign your name with precision a finger can never match.

A dust rating that actually protects the hinge

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 carries an IP48 rating, which only keeps out particles larger than 1 mm. That might sound fine on paper, but for a foldable, it’s a real problem. Fine dust and grime are exactly what sneak into a hinge and slowly wreck it over time.

The iPhone Duo’s IP68 rating offers full protection against both dust and water, which means you could technically take it anywhere, even to the beach. Just to be clear, that’s something I would never recommend trying with the Fold 8.

This is the biggest benefit of buying the iPhone Duo over the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8. Foldables are fragile by nature and you should get the most protection money can buy.

Magnetic charging without extra accessories

The Fold 8 supports 20W wireless charging and is Qi2 ready, but there are no built-in magnets for magnetic alignment. If you want that, you’ll need to buy a separate case with magnets included. Samsung has been too stubborn to include magnets in the phone, and it’s hurting its users. 

Apple managed to fit MagSafe compatibility into the iPhone Duo despite its dual-battery layout and slim design. Apple has even built out a whole magnetic accessory lineup for the Duo, including cases and a Folio with Kickstand, all designed to work with MagSafe and 25W Qi2 charging. 

MagSafe is one of my favorite features of the iPhone, and once you get used to it, it’s hard to go back. That’s why it’s good to see Apple keeping the feature even when the iPhone Duo unfolded is the slimmest phone it has ever made.

A matte display etched right into the glass

The iPhone Duo also gets Apple’s nano-texture display, which cuts down glare and reflections while giving the screen a soft matte finish. Samsung offers a matte finish on the Fold 8’s inner display, but it doesn’t use the same technology.

Instead of adding a coating, Apple physically etches the texture directly into the glass. I’ve used this nano-texture finish on my Mac, and it works beautifully. I’ll need to compare both foldables side by side before I give a fair verdict, but on paper, Apple’s version already sounds like the better execution.

Final thoughts

None of this means the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a bad foldable. Samsung still has years of foldable experience behind it. But looking at these five areas, it’s clear Apple studied exactly where Samsung’s foldables have stumbled, and built the iPhone Duo to avoid those same missteps. Once the phone is out, I’ll be curious to see how much of this theoretical advantage actually holds up in daily use.