Apple’s $1,999 iPhone Duo could bring more buyers to a foldable-phone category that has remained niche, while giving Samsung its first direct iPhone rival in the book-style segment. One 2026 forecast puts Apple at 25% of global foldable shipments against Samsung’s 38%—a substantial challenge, though not a prediction that Apple will overtake Samsung this year.
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- Apple’s opening: The passport-shaped Duo unfolds to a 7.6-inch screen. Its appeal to existing iPhone buyers could expand the category as well as take sales from rivals, but its $1,999 starting price leaves demand uncertain.
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- Samsung’s product response: Its $1,899 Galaxy Z Fold 8 competes closely on price and the wide-folding format. Samsung is positioning its established foldable hardware and AI features, including Gemini, against Apple’s first-generation device.
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- Samsung’s marketing response: Its “Welcome to Foldables” advertising and playful social-media posts turn Apple’s arrival into a reminder that Samsung has already developed eight generations of foldables. Its production experience, supply chain and global sales reach remain practical advantages; Samsung Display’s supply of Apple’s foldable screen also gives the wider Samsung group a role in its rival’s launch.
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- Forecast caveat: The shares are projections, not sales results. Reports differ on Samsung’s expected 2026 share—another cites 32% rather than 38%, while also putting Apple at 25%—so the precise gap is uncertain.
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