I'm looking at the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and I keep asking myself: why would Apple be scared now?

The new Galaxy Z Fold 8 family (which also brings us the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip 8) is ridiculously popular.

So, if nothing changes, the battle for the year's second-most popular foldable could be between Google's just-released Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Apple's iPhone Ultra.

Should Apple be afraid of Google, though?

Multiple factors and wildcards

It's tricky to predict how popular the iPhone Ultra will turn out to be since we're dealing with a yet unreleased device. True, the rumor mill is pumping out leak after leak and we have a fairly good idea of what the thing could be like, both in terms of specs and design; but that's not enough.

We have to take into account the following factors:

• Apple has an incredibly loyal customer base;
• The price is still a touchy subject;

• The iPhone Ultra is a first-generation device and could suffer from first-gen illnesses.

And these shouldn't be underestimated

Apple's fanbase is like clockwork, showing up with credit cards in hand every 12 months to perform the "Add to cart & Checkout" sacred ritual. True, some Apple devices like the $3,499 Vision Pro or the iPhone 12 mini were epic market flops, but the iPhone is by far the most popular handset in the US (and the rest of the world is obsessed with Apple, too).

That's a big plus for Apple. It always helps to have a loyal customer base when you have a new model to sell.

Next, money! When it comes to the price of the iPhone Ultra, things are really volatile. Let's say that phone would be really pricey. Okay, but how much—$2,000 or $2,300?

Generally speaking, Apple's fanbase is often insensitive to price hikes, as Apple gadgets have always been a bit more expensive than rivals. Some people even take pride in owning an iPhone just because it's "premium" and not some "cheap and plastic Android mid-ranger". Never mind that Android mid-rangers these days come with jaw-dropping 10,000 mAh batteries and offer impressive performance levels.

So, if Apple acts too crazy and asks too much for the iPhone Ultra next month (the foldable is due in September), people could act a fool and refuse to draw their credit cards.

But what matters most is—will the iPhone Ultra be any good? Fans or no fans, high price or low price, what's crucial is the phone itself.

This is worrysome

First-generation products are more often than not a bit… buggy. They're charming and exotic, but they're not polished and improved in all the ways their successors are.

That's the part where Apple can really screw up with just a couple of wrong moves. If the hinge isn't perfect, if the display comes with a crease as deep as the Grand Canyon, if the cameras are lousy and if the build quality is questionable, well, Apple will have a mini flop on its hands. If the software isn't fully optimized… yeah, a hard pass.

Am I asking too much of Cupertino? Actually, no.

You had plenty of time, Apple

It's been seven years since the start of the foldable craze (the first Galaxy Z Fold arrived in 2019). If today was 2019, I'd cut Apple some slack: all pioneers are allowed a mistake or two on the path to glory.

But in 2026, my tolerance for hiccups by the iPhone Ultra is precisely zero. If the thing isn't on par with its rivals, it'll go under the "Nice try, but no thanks" category in my book. I don't need the iPhone Ultra to excel over its peers, but I won't give it a pass if it's lagging behind.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 isn't the maxed-out flagship one would expect it to be, yet it's a hit.

What about the Pixel 11 Pro Fold?

I know I'm comparing an iOS vs Android foldable flagship here, but that's okay. Switching from Apple to Android has never been easier or quicker these days.

So the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a valid contender. But in reality, I think that Google hasn't put its heart and soul into its new foldable.

Don't get me wrong, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold looks like a wonderful handset. It's got pretty nice displays that are bright and vivid. It's got a hinge that doesn't look flabby and it's chock-full of AI features.

But there are some things that I can't accept on a $1,900 flagship in late 2026. Namely, 10.5 MP ultrawide and 10.8 MP telephoto cameras. 50 MP imaging sensors in phones—yes, even in foldable phones—are not some out-of-this-world mystery.

Sure, cameras take plenty of space in a phone. But there's plenty of room since the Pixel 11 Pro Fold isn't exactly wasp-waisted like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Furthermore, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's battery of 4,750mAh speaks volumes of how hard Google was pushing the envelope on this front (it wasn't).

So, should Apple be scared of Google's new foldable?

I'd say no, not at all. The Pixel 11 family feels like a moderate upgrade over its predecessor (and in some RAM instances, it's a literal downgrade) and it simply can't cast a shadow over the iPhone Ultra.

Apple's gadget probably won't be the ultimate foldable of 2026, but one thing is for sure: it's hot as hell and it'll be one of the most talked-about devices in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, I don't know if someone (besides Pixel fans and AI aficionados) would even recall the Pixel 11 Pro Fold ten days from now.