Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 8 advertisement takes a direct aim at Apple’s iPhone Duo for entering the foldable phone market years later than its competitors. Published on Instagram, the promotional video features an apple being chopped into pieces, with one slice rolling past the Galaxy Z Fold lineup spanning from 2019 to the 2026 Z Fold 8 model.
Foldable Phones and Software Optimization
It is common practice for smartphone manufacturers to criticize Apple for introducing hardware and features to the iPhone long after they appear on Android devices. Priced at $1,900, the passport-style Galaxy Z Fold 8 debuted in July and shares a comparable shape with the $1,999 iPhone Duo that launched in September.
Samsung has spent years refining its One UI 9.0 software overlay specifically for foldable devices, incorporating numerous features designed for both large and small displays. Although the Duo operates on Apple’s iOS 27, CNET reviewer Abrar Al-Heeti observed that third-party applications and services are still undergoing optimization for multiple screens. As Apple’s inaugural foldable device, the Duo breaks new ground for iOS, simultaneously providing competitors such as Samsung with material for playful advertising campaigns.
Design Advantages and Apple’s History of Catching Up
The advertisement concludes by highlighting that the Z Fold 8 is thinner and lighter than the iPhone Duo. Samsung achieved this physical profile partly through the integration of a display technology called Flex Titanium alongside higher-capacity silicon-carbon battery hardware.
Despite the iPhone Duo arriving late to the foldable category, Apple possesses a track record of rapidly closing the gap with competitors. For instance, Apple introduced wireless charging with the iPhone 8 in 2017, well after competing Android brands offered the feature. Apple subsequently helped shape the Qi2 wireless charging standard to deliver faster speeds using magnets, and the iPhone 17 Pro secured CNET’s Lab Test for fastest wireless charging last spring.
Until Apple’s new foldable device establishes a firm footing in the market, other foldable manufacturers such as Google or Motorola are expected to continue releasing creative advertisements poking fun at Apple for waiting until 2026 to enter the space.
