After spending more than a week with the iPhone Duo, I am convinced that... Samsung's decision to go with a thinner and lighter design on the Galaxy Fold 8 was the right one.
The iPhone Duo needs better ergonomics
The iPhone Duo feels chunkier than the Fold 8 | Image by PhoneArena
The iPhone Duo is just too thick and heavy, and the more you use it, the more you can't unsee and unfeel that. The iPhone Duo is always a noticeable presence in my pocket. Thickness is mostly a number on a spec sheet for a regular phone, but it's a very real problem on a foldable phone when you sit down or put it in your pocket.
See, foldables phones are used differently than standard candy-bar phones. You unfold them dozens of times every day, you often hold them with one hand to read, you frequently switch between orientations. Every gram matters a lot more when you're holding a mini tablet screen in your hands.
That's why a foldable is not something you want to be constantly reminded you're carrying.
In contrast, the Fold 8's feather weight helps tremendously in everyday interactions. Foldable phones are all about getting the ergonomics right, and Samsung has got that.
Samsung's one mistake
I cannot unsee the punch hold on the Galaxy | Image by PhoneArena
And while I'm firmly in the Galaxy foldable camp, the iPhone Duo reminded me that Samsung made one mistake with the Fold 8.
See, the iPhone Duo uses an under-display camera on the main screen, so it's an uninterrupted experience. On the Galaxy, you have a quite big punch hole that kind of always gets in the way when you are reading, and it's a constant distraction.
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Sure, an under-display camera has potato image quality compared to a standard camera, but how often will you be on video conferencing calls or taking selfies with the main screen?
Whatever your use, chances are it will be a very small percentage of your time. Reading on the other hand or scrolling social media? That's practically most of your phone use, and with a punch hole so noticeable, it's a constant annoyance.
My argument is that instead of designing for the 95%, Samsung designed for the 5% here.
Interestingly, Samsung itself realized this a couple of generations ago when it also used an under-display camera on the main screen of its Folds. Then, it clearly realized that the internal screen on the foldable is its main selling point and it should feel as close to a proper tablet screen as possible.
But somewhere along the way, the company decided that better selfie quality was worth sacrificing that uninterrupted experience and made the switch to a regular camera. Considering the way people use their phones — this was the wrong decision.
Not every single phone component needs to be the best it can possibly be on its own. Sometimes, making one component worse can actually improve the entire product.
Samsung got the bigger things right
The iPhone Duo should have been available with a glossy screen option | Image by PhoneArena
Apart from that, I think Samsung got the better big decisions.
The matte screen on the iPhone Duo is very nice to ttouch,and it supports the Apple Pencil, but I think Samsung made the right call with the more vibrant glossy screen which looks decidedly better.
Take the two phones outside, and you would immediately notice that the Duo looks kind of hazy because of that. I know some people appreciate a matte screen, but it should have been an option, not the only way to get the iPhone Duo.
Oh, and of course, we still don't know just how many people suffer from crack-gate on the iPhone Duo, and whether that was indeed a small number of devices as Apple claims. Or whether this problem will persist in the future.
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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.
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