"Is that the new iPhone?" How my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has fascinated the world – and put folding phones on the map
People can't stop asking me about this folding phone
by Mike Lowe · T3
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September has been a busy month. From the streets of Toyko (checking out the new Technics EAH-A1000 headphones), to the wind-swept beaches of Maui (for Qualcomm's annual Snapdragon Summit), and the cafes of Paris (for Loewe's new coffee machine), there's been one consistent theme in my travels.
"Is that the new iPhone?" I've been asked feverishly many times, from hotel check-in staff, to members of the public, even fellow journalists – there's clearly an appetite for the new iPhone Duo. Except, here's the thing, I'm using Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 – the closest thing you'll find to Apple's foldable ahead of launch.
"No, it's the closest equivalent, but the iPhone Duo is almost exactly the same size," I muse, offering it over (with trust) for people to take a look. The reaction is always the same: "Oh, it's a strange size!" While I did agree on day one of my use, now other phones feel almost too narrow
This bold new scale – with a 4:3 aspect ratio screen within – is what's been needed to shake the folding phone apple cart (or 'Apple cart, if you will), though, offering a new proposition that's redefined what the best folding phones can deliver. I suspect many other phone-makers will follow suit in the near future.
The fascination with my Galaxy Z Fold 8, however, is down to the fact that Apple's iPhone Duo isn't out on public sale just yet. We've got to wait until the end of October for that – but even then, given its £/$2000 starting price, I suspect you won't see loads of them in the wild. Even Apple insiders don't yet have the hardware for review.
The fascination isn't likely to expire quickly either, as this new folding format is so eye-catching from afar, yet so compelling during use. I was asked by a lifestyle journalist how the physical fold affects daily use, only to show him that, while there's some visibility at acute angles, face-on you'll not notice a crease.
Apple has to prove itself in that department, given the Duo is its first-gen attempt. The technology here sounds fascinating, though, just as Samsung's Flex Titanium hinge impresses in the Z Fold 8 (and Ultra model, too). I've spoken with Samsung engineers about how this conundrum "seemed impossible" but was solved thanks to a variety of clever solutions.
When the Z Fold 8 was first revealed, it captured the public's imagination back in August, with pre-orders up 17% year on year. Since Apple debuted the iPhone Duo this month, however, that's seen an even greater increase in people buying the Galaxy handset. Who'd have thought it, eh? An Apple launch upselling an Android phone!
I'm loving this renewed interest in folding phones, and really looking forward to seeing how Apple's injection in this section of the market performs. Because, just like the general public, interest is at fever pitch – and, as a daily Z Fold 8 user, I very much include myself in that camp. All will become clearer in a matter of weeks, when burgeoning questions about the new iPhone will be answered.