Apple iPhone Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Main differences to expect
It's foldable season for Apple and Samsung, as the iPhone Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will breathe in new life in the wallet-style foldable niche.
iPhone Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be among the hottest foldable commodities this year.
This September, Apple is expected to enter a new form factor category as it is very widely expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, which will possibly carry the exciting iPhone Ultra name.
It will most certainly be a wide foldable that will unfold to a more rectangular aspect ratio in contrast to most foldables out there, like Samsung's Z Fold ones, for example. The latter are about to get a seismic shift in the naming, though: the foldables that
The latter is also releasing a rival, likely called the Galaxy Z Fold 8. This one will also be a wallet-style foldable that will
Apple iPhone Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 expected differences:
| Apple iPhone Ultra | Galaxy Z Fold 8 |
|---|---|
| A wide wallet-style foldable | Also a wide-style foldable |
| A 7.8-inch internal screen | Slightly smaller 7.6-inch inner screen |
| A 5.5-inch outer screen | A similarly sized 5.4-inch cover display |
| Triple camera with proper telephoto | Dual camera (wide + ultrawide) |
| Apple A20 Pro chip, built on a 2nm node | Likely 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy on board |
| Dual camera system | Dual camera system as well |
| Touch ID fingerprint sensor | Possibly a capacitive fingerprint as well |
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Design and Size
Apple versus Samsung in the foldable space
The iPhone Ultra will be Apple's first foldable phone, and as such, it's starting from a clean slate in terms of design language. We know that the form factor will be a wallet-styled foldable phone, so wider and shorter than regular foldable phones.
3D renders and mockups online paint a design language that's very similar to most iPhones out there, with a flat frame, a glass back, and a sturdy hinge to boot. The latter would reportedly use a hefty amount of titanium parts, and the frame of the iPhone Ultra itself could be made of the same material, too.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be quite simlar to Samsung's other foldables, with a design that looks like a squished down Galaxy Z Fold 7. The frame will most likely utilize aluminum, just like most of Samsung's previous foldables.
As far as the dimensions go, the rumor mill expects the iPhone Ultra to have dimensions of 120.6 x 167.6 x 4.8 mm when unfolded and 120.6 x 83.8 x 9.6 mm when folded. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will likely measure 161.4 x 123.9 x 4.9 mm when unfolded and 161.4 x 82.2 x 9.8 mm when folded, so pretty similar but taller and thicker than the iPhone Ultra.
|
|
| Apple iPhone Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 120.6 x 167.6 x 4.8 mm | 161.4 x 123.9 x 4.9 mm |
See the full
Apple iPhone Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs comparison
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It's unknown if the iPhone Ultra will be water and dust-tight, so it's unclear if it will have an IP rating; here's to hoping it does. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will most likely score at least an IP48 water- and dust-resistance like its predecessors.
Display Differences
The iPhone Ultra will boast a 7.8-inch inner screen, most certainly a Liquid Retina XDR OLED one with ProMotion, though knowing Apple, that one might be worthy of a new name. The outer screen will measure 5.5 inches across.
The notable thing to note here is that the display size will remain consistent between the inner and outer screens, as they both follow the 1:1.41 A4 aspect ratio. This will deliver a consistent experience as there would essentially be just two aspect ratios as opposed to at least four on most other foldables (folded portrait, folded landscape, unfolded portrait, unfolded landscape).
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will likely come with a 7.8-inch internal display and a 5.4-inch cover screen, both of which will be Dynamic AMOLED ones with up to 120 Hz refresh rate.
Both phones will most certainly use the latest in ultra-thin glass so that we get a crease-free experience. The latter is actually a new one for Samsung which had shipped crease-happy foldables up until the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 7.8-inch | 7.6-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, 120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
See the full
Apple iPhone Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
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The iPhone Ultra won't come with a Dynamic Island notch, as Apple is returning to its roots with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner embedded right into the power button, like on the company's iPad lineup. The same applies to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 –– it's scoring a touch fingerprint sensor, too.
Performance and Software
More power for the iPhone
Apple will equip the iPhone Ultra with its 2nm Apple A20 Pro. The next chapter in the Apple Silicon series will surely introduce a new step in performance and efficiency that will make it very challenging for Android rivals to follow.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will most surely use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the fastest variety of the chip that has a slightly higher clock than the regular Elite Gen 5 chip. It was used on the Galaxy S26 Ultra globally and on Galaxy S26/S26 Plus units in the US.
Which one will come up on top? Needless to say, the iPhone will surely have an advantage thanks to the denser manufacturing process and Apple's tight integration of the hardware.
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|
|
| Apple iPhone Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A20 Pro (2 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite 5 for Galaxy SM8850-1-AD (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.1) | 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 16GB/512GB |
| OS | |
| iOS (27.x) | Android (16) |
See the full
Apple iPhone Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
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Both will potentially come with 12 GB of RAM and 256 or 512 GB of storage, which makes them future-proof for on-device AI-processing for the time being.
The iPhone Ultra will feature iOS 27, which just scored its second developer beta, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will treat us to One UI 9, which will be based on the recently released Android 17. The latter has a few intriguing features that will improve the foldable experience, like app bubbles.
Camera
Not serious camera phones
Let's get one thing out of the way: nobody's buying foldables for their cameras, so manufacturers aren't really trying. And because the latter are hardly trying, nobody's buying foldables for their cameras.
It's a vicious cycle that leads to foldables with unimpressive camera setups, and both the iPhone Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8 seem like they will continue the trend.
Both devices will feature dual camera setups, consisting of a wide and an ultrawide camera. The Z Fold 8 might get a 200 MP main camera sensor, whereas the iPhone Ultra will likely rely on a 48 MP main snapper.
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|
|
| Apple iPhone Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP | 200 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.7 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.3" Pixel size: 0.6 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 12 MP (Ultra-wide) | 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.2 Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
| Front | |
| 12 MP | 10 MP (HDR) |
See the full
Apple iPhone Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Battery Life and Charging
Maybe we'll get large batteries, maybe not
It's up in the air as to what the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and iPhone Ultra battery capacities would be.
The rumor mill says the iPhone Ultra will likely get 5,500 mAh dual-cell battery, though other rumors point out to a 4,800 mAh dual-cell battery. Most rumors also point out that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 might come with a, you guessed it, a 5,000 mAh battery, which is such a Samsung thing to do.
The iPhone Ultra will potentially have better battery life due to the more efficient chipset it will carry, and there's also the possibility of a larger battery. This hints at an iPhone with excellent battery backup.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4700 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 20.0W | Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
See the full
Apple iPhone Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Charging-wise, we expect at least 25 W wired charging for the iPhone Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The iPhone Ultra will reportedly skip MagSafe wireless charging, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will likely score 15 W wireless charging. To connect MagSafe accessories to your iPhone Ultra, you will have to use Apple's MagSafe equipped cases for the device which will certainly be launched alongside it.
Specs Comparison
Here's how the iPhone Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs will likely compare. All data below is based on preliminary and unconfirmed specs.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 120.6 x 167.6 x 4.8 mm | 161.4 x 123.9 x 4.9 mm |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 7.8-inch | 7.6-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, 120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A20 Pro (2 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite 5 for Galaxy SM8850-1-AD (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.1) | 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 16GB/512GB |
| OS | |
| iOS (27.x) | Android (16) |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4700 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 20.0W | Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP | 200 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.7 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.3" Pixel size: 0.6 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 12 MP (Ultra-wide) | 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.2 Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
| Front | |
| 12 MP | 10 MP (HDR) |
See the full
Apple iPhone Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
This year, it's foldable season for both Samsung and Apple.
The iPhone Ultra will be a first-gen device that will most certainly prove to be a very popular and successful litmus test for Apple that will lead to a whole line of foldable iPhones in the future.
Meanwhile, Samsung has been one of the pioneers in the foldable niche and has more than half a decade of experience in the genre, but in 2026, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that's positioned as a direct rival to the iPhone Ultra wouldn't even be Samsung's best foldable device.
Will that be enough to steal some of the iPhone Ultra's thunder? Remains to be seen.
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