We asked Tom's Guide readers if they would rather pick up Apple's new iPhone Duo or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the winner was quite surprising.
With 2,761 votes, one device proved far more popular than the other by more than double the votes, but was it the Apple iPhone Duo or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8? Check out the results below.
Which flagship foldable would you rather purchase?
- 1st place: 62%, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
- 2nd place: 23%, iPhone Duo
- 3rd place: 15%, Neither
With a total of 1,705 votes, 62% of respondents said the Samsung foldable is their preferred foldable phone. Apple's Duo came in a distant second with 632 votes, or 23%.
Meanwhile, 424 people said they weren't interested in either phone. If you find yourself in that camp, what would you buy instead? Or is this category too pricey for you?
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the winner, but why?
So why did the Galaxy Z Fold 8 dominate our poll over the iPhone Duo.
I think it comes down to a few of factors in the battle between the Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo: design, price and expertise.
The Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256GB version and goes up to over $3k for the 2TB option. Samsung's foldable starts at $1,899, not a big difference but with how expensive the world has gotten in the last two years every dollar matters. No, Samsung doesn't offer a 2TB variant but the top-end 1TB model will cost you $2,499, again $100 than the equivalent Duo version.
Additionally, the Z Fold 8 offers a thinner and lighter design than the iPhone Duo. And Samsung lets you run more than two apps at once, which is better for multitasking. Plus, Samsung has been iterating foldables for eight generations, while this is Apple's first attempt.
There is concern over visibility and brightness with the matte finish on the Duo display, which is meant to hide the crease. Pictures of CEO John Ternus at the Emmys recently stirred up controversy online, but we thought it was plenty bright in our hands-on time.
As we've found, though, the iPhone Duo has multiple features that the Z Fold 8 doesn't, including iP68 durability, stylus support, faster charging, and a vapor chamber for better cooling.
What you have said
One reader said in a comment that they were staying away from all things Apple as they didn't want to get sucked into another ecosystem. "I have Samsungs 8 ultra, and I am impressed with it," they said.
As a counterpoint, another reader wrote that the "crucial factor" when comparing Samsung and Apple is Apple's "after-purchase service experience."
"Functionally, I have liked both platforms, but there is a fundamental difference in corporate philosophy. Apple actively invests in both technology and the customer service infrastructure required to support it. Samsung, on the other hand, focuses almost entirely on tech specs while leaving its customer support framework completely neglected," they said.
Bottom line
The iPhone Duo may be the belle of the ball after its recent announcement, but you won't be able to actually hold it in your hands until October 23.
Meanwhile, the Z Fold 8 is available right now and is a pretty impressive foldable, even if Apple's device beats it in some areas.
Let us know: why would you pick the Duo or the Z Fold 8? Don't like either? What's your replacement?
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