The Galaxy Z Fold8 is now available on Amazon for $1,650, a $250 markdown from its $1,900 launch price, according to a deal spotted by Gizmodo.
CNET has published a series of breakdowns pitting the iPhone Duo against current Android foldables, and the Galaxy Z Fold8 emerges as the primary benchmark Apple needs to clear.
The iPhone Duo, by contrast, is rated as both fully waterproof and fully dustproof.
The Duo packs 48-megapixel main and ultrawide sensors, while the Fold8 steps up to 50 megapixels on both.
Apple's Duo has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, but the company has not disclosed specifications for the inner display camera.
Samsung's newest book-style foldable just got significantly cheaper. The Galaxy Z Fold8 is now available on Amazon for $1,650, a $250 markdown from its $1,900 launch price, according to a deal spotted by Gizmodo. The timing is notable: the discount lands while Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, is still weeks away from store shelves — it carries a $1,999 price tag and an Oct. 23 on-sale date — putting Samsung's flagship at a $349 price advantage for the entire run-up to Apple's launch.
For anyone weighing the two devices, the comparison has become sharper than expected. CNET has published a series of breakdowns pitting the iPhone Duo against current Android foldables, and the Galaxy Z Fold8 emerges as the primary benchmark Apple needs to clear. The two phones share a similar passport-style aspect ratio when unfolded, a departure from the tall, narrow profile common among other foldables. Samsung's device is also slightly thinner in both folded and unfolded states.
The durability picture is less flattering for Samsung. Early generations of its foldables struggled with dust and debris infiltrating the hinge mechanism, and the Fold8 still carries that vulnerability. Its IP48 rating means the phone is fully waterproof but only protected against particles larger than a grain of sand. The iPhone Duo, by contrast, is rated as both fully waterproof and fully dustproof. For a device that costs nearly two grand, that distinction could matter to buyers who use their phones outdoors or in messy environments.
Camera hardware is a near wash. The Duo packs 48-megapixel main and ultrawide sensors, while the Fold8 steps up to 50 megapixels on both. Neither phone includes a telephoto lens. On the selfie side, Samsung equips the Fold8 with a 10-megapixel camera on the outer display and another 10-megapixel shooter on the inner screen. Apple's Duo has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, but the company has not disclosed specifications for the inner display camera. Video recording on that sensor appears capped at 1080p rather than 4K, suggesting a lower-resolution component.
Charging tells a split story. The Fold8 supports faster wired charging, reaching 73 percent from zero in 30 minutes. Apple says the Duo hits 50 percent in the same window. Wireless charging flips the advantage: the Duo has full MagSafe support with built-in magnets, while the Fold8 lacks the magnetic alignment required for Qi2 wireless charging.
Battery life remains an open question for the Duo. Apple, as it typically does, has not disclosed the battery's capacity, rating the phone instead at up to 44 hours of video playback with the outer display in use and 31 hours with the inner one — a gap that shows how much the large screen costs in endurance. Teardown analyses will eventually provide the capacity figure. Samsung has been more transparent on this front across its foldable lineup, specifying a 4,800mAh cell for the Fold8 and up to about 26 hours of video playback, though real-world endurance will still depend heavily on how often users open the inner display.
