Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Apple iPhone Fold: Main differences to expect
We like to say that Apple is usually late to the party but easily overtakes industries, and in 2026, we'll have the perfect opportunity to see if Cupertino is still capable of doing so.
Later this year, we expect the first foldable iPhone to arrive. This market niche has been existing for more than five years now, and it's high time Apple graced it with its presence. It's Samsung that has been dominating the foldable phone market ever since its inception, and in 2026, we actually expect the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 to make the rounds and offer a decent challenge to the iPhone.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8, in particular, will be the one to watch because it's essentially the flagship foldable phone in the lineup. With a super-thin design but a decently large 8.0-inch internal screen, it will most certainly end up being a better-designed foldable than the foldable iPhone, which is shaping up to be more compact and with a smaller set of displays.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Apple iPhone Fold expected differences:
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 | iPhone Fold |
|---|---|
| Book-style foldable phone, Armor Aluminum + Gorilla Glass | Book-style foldable, aluminum/titanium + Ceramic Shield |
| 6.5-inch cover, 8.0-inch internal OLED screen | 5.5-inch cover, 7.8-inch internal OLED screen |
| Exynos 2600 chip, 2nm | Apple A20, 3nm |
| 12GB, 256/512GB | 12GB RAM, 256/512GB |
| Triple camera (200MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP telephoto) | Dual camera (48MP main + 48MP ultrawide) |
| ~4,400 mAh battery | ~4,700 mAh battery |
| 25 W wired charging, Qi2 | ~20 W wired charging, MagSafe |
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Design and Size
A seasoned warrior means a promising newcomer
Samsung has a pretty big lead over Apple when it comes to foldable phones. After all, it has been making foldables since 2019, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be the crowning jewel of Samsung's design achievements over the years.
Just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Fold 8 will be a very thin device with a zero-wedge design and likely an even smaller crease, but more on that later. Of course, the Fold 8 will be a book-style foldable, as usual.
It's most certain that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will utilize Armor Aluminum for the frame and Gorilla Glass Victus for the rear panel.
What about the foldable iPhone?
Despite the uncertainty of most leaks and rumors, the foldable iPhone will use a combination of aluminum and titanium in its design, as well as possibly Ceramic Shield in the back. One thing that's certain is that the iPhone Fold will be a book-style foldable phone, but unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 8, it will be a bit more rectangular and wallet-like.
There's not much known about the potential size and thinned of the foldable iPhone just yet. The Fold 8 definitely wouldn't stray too much from the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which scored a
| Phone1 | iPhone Fold |
|---|---|
| Thickness ~ 8.9/4.2 mm | Thickness ? |
| Dimensions ~158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm ~158.4 x 143.2 x 4.2 mm | Dimensions ? |
| Weight ~215 gr | Weight ? |
And when it comes to colors, my guess is as good as yours.
Display Differences
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will utilize an 8-inch internal Dynamic AMOLED display with up to 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR support, and peak brightness in the 2,600-nit ballpark, just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The inner display of the latter was excellent, so there's really no need for a major overhaul. The 6.5-inch outer screen is perfectly good for everyday usage, as it's neither too narrow nor too wide.
One major improvement could see an even further reduction of the display crease on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 thanks to the alleged use of dual UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) inside. This would make the display a bit more rigid and reportedly reduce the crease by up to 20%, a welcome improvement.
The foldable iPhone is reportedly coming with a 7.8-inch inner OLED display that will reportedly feature a minimal crease, but it remains to be seen if Samsung or Apple will have the upper hand in terms of flatness.
Reports about the outer screen are mixed. We will either see a 5.3- or a 5.5-inch outer screen, with conflicting rumors flying from all sides.
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Apple iPhone Fold |
|---|---|
| External screen size 6.5-inch | External screen size 5.3-5.5-inch |
| Internal screen size 8.0-inch | Internal screen size 7.8-inch |
| Brightness 2600 nits (peak) | Brightness ? |
Biometrics-wise, we expect that both phones will be similar and adopt capacitive fingerprint scanners.
Yes, this means that Touch ID will likely be back and could be embedded in the power button of the foldable iPhone. We expect a capacitive fingerprint scanner to be part of the Galaxy Z Fold 8's specs sheet as well.
Performance and Software
Proper power for the foldable bunch
Samsung is likely equipping the Galaxy Z Fold 8 with its Exynos 2600 chip, which is built on a 2nm manufacturing node and will be powering the upcoming Galaxy S26 flagship generation (though it remains to be seen whether that would happen globally or in select markets only).
Rumors reveal what was already suspected: the foldable iPhone will most certainly come with Apple's next A20 chip, a 3nm chip that will also find its way into the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Apple iPhone Fold |
|---|---|
| Chip Exynos 2600 | Chip Apple A120 chip |
| Process 2nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB | RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB |
We are likely looking at 12GB of RAM in both phones, as well as 256GB and 512GB storage versions.
The iPhone will naturally run iOS 27, which is coming this year, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be powered by Samsung's next major One UI release. The phone will probably launch with Android 16 and get Android 17 at a later date, though.
Camera
Triple versus dual power
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will most certainly have the same camera setup as the Galaxy Z Fold 7. This means that the phone will get a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3X optical zoom. A pretty versatile setup for a foldable phone.
Meanwhile, the iPhone Fold is expected to get a dual-camera setup, consisting of two 48MP cameras at the rear (wide and ultrawide ones). There will be one 18MP front camera on this iPhone, likely supporting Center Stage.
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 | iPhone Fold |
|---|---|
| Main 200 MP, f/1.7 | Main 48 MP |
| Ultrawide 12 MP, f/1.7 | Ultrawide 48 MP |
| Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom | - |
Battery Life and Charging
Not much in the way of battery
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 possibly wouldn't fit a larger battery than the Galaxy Z Fold 7. That one came with a 4,400 mAh battery, so anything in that ballpark would be logicla to expect.
What about the iPhone Fold? Well, uncertainty looms here, but the rumor mill is betting on a 4,700 mAh battery, or anything in that general area.
| Galaxy Z Fold 8 | iPhone Fold |
|---|---|
| Battery size ~4,400 mAh | Battery size ~4,700 mAh |
Charging speeds 25 W wired 15 W wireless charging | Charging speeds MagSafe |
Charging is another enigma. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will most certainly score the same charging speeds as its predecessor (25 W wired, 15 W wireless), but it's not certain how fast the iPhone Fold would charge. It will probably get MagSafe, though Apple could go the iPhone 16e way and skip it for size reasons.
Specs Comparison
|
|
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Apple iPhone Fold |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 8.0-inch | 7.8-inch |
| Type | |
| Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz | OLED, 120Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A20 (3 nm) | |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/512GB 16GB/512GB |
12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.1) |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4400 mAh | 4700 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
Wired: 20.0W |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 200 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.7 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.3" Pixel size: 0.6 μm |
50 MP |
| Second camera | |
| 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.2 Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
12 MP (Ultra-wide) |
| Third camera | |
| 10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 67 mm Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
|
| Front | |
| 10 MP (HDR) | 12 MP |
See the full
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Apple iPhone Fold specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Fold would be two classical rivals.
One company has the know-how of more than six years of experience. The other? The aura to eventually dominate any niche it enters.
There's a lot of unknowns involved with either device just yet, but it seems more is known about the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
The iPhone Fold definitely has the potential to reinvigorate the foldable market, at least in the US, but thus far, it seems only the brand name and the Apple ecosystem could be the important factors to consider here.
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