iPhone Duo draws foldable comparisons as Galaxy Z Fold 8 owner recreates its transition animation

Reddit user moomanjohnny posted a video showing what appeared to be iPhone Duo-like animations while switching back and forth between the Galaxy Z Fold 8's cover screen and inner display, Android Authority reported. The effort is a proof of concept for now, but the user said the underlying hardware exists on the Z Fold 8. The feature cannot yet be turned into a third-party app, and only Samsung is supposedly able to implement something like it system-wide. Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo after a cycle of leaks; initial impressions suggest Apple may have an edge over the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in some areas, and the Samsung foldable lacks the smooth folding and unfolding transition animation seen on Apple's device.

The Verge reports that the iPhone Duo will launch Oct. 23 at $1,999, just above the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 8. The phone takes a passport-like approach, with the same aspect ratio on its inside and outside screens, and it is usable with some apps while partially folded. Its interior screen has a special outer layer that, along with its hinge design, makes the interior crease almost impossible to spot, according to The Verge. The publication said many competitors struggle with that issue, though Samsung and Oppo are making progress. The Verge also spent time with the iPhone Duo at Apple's 'Surprise and shine' event.

In specifications, The Verge's comparison lists the iPhone Duo with iOS 27, a 7.6-inch wide-angle OLED main display at 1878 by 2670 pixels and up to 120Hz, and a 5.4-inch OLED cover display at 1398 by 2034 pixels and up to 120Hz. It measures 117.8 by 164.6 by 5.2 millimeters unfolded and 117.8 by 84.1 by 11.3 millimeters folded, weighs 254 grams, and is rated for up to 24 hours of battery life. It uses an A20 Pro processor, does not share RAM details, offers 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage, and has 48-megapixel main and 48-megapixel ultrawide rear cameras plus a 12-megapixel cover selfie camera. Main video goes up to 4K at 120fps, selfie video up to 4K at 60fps, and it has IP68 protection, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 5G mmWave and Sub 6GHz. Wired charging is 40W and wireless charging is 25W; colors are star white and night sky.

For comparison, The Verge lists the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold at $1,899 with Android 17, an 8-inch OLED main display at 2076 by 2152 pixels, a 6.5-inch OLED cover display at 1080 by 2342 pixels, both up to 120Hz, 16GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, a 48-megapixel wide camera, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, 10.8-megapixel telephoto, 4,750mAh battery, Tensor G6 chipset, IP68, and 30W wired and 25W wireless charging. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $1,899.99 with Android 17, a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED main display at 1848 by 2448 pixels and a 5.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED cover display at 1248 by 1972 pixels, both up to 120Hz, 12GB or 16GB RAM, 256GB to 1TB storage, 50-megapixel wide and ultrawide rear cameras, a 4,800mAh battery, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, IP48, and 45W wired and 20W wireless charging. The Z Fold 8 weighs 201 grams and is listed with lavender, graphite, cream, and online-only pistachio colors.

9to5Mac noted that the iPhone Duo resembles Microsoft's Courier prototype from 2009. Microsoft never moved beyond the prototype and abandoned the project less than a year later, according to 9to5Mac. The 2009 concept video showed a similar integrated user interface, including dragging part of a photo from one side of the screen to a separate app on the other. Microsoft later brought some of that type of capability to Surface products, but 9to5Mac said it is ironic that Apple had to match the level of integration Microsoft originally had in mind. Apple has shown how to properly make a foldable smartphone, 9to5Mac said, with hardware and software integration as a key part.