Apple entered the foldable phone market several years after Samsung. With the iPhone Duo, Apple appears to have focused on answering some of the biggest complaints from Galaxy Z Fold users, prioritizing how the device looks and feels in everyday use even when that required compromises elsewhere.
iPhone Duo’s compromises: cleaner look at a cost
The iPhone Duo still has a crease, but Apple added a nano-texture finish that makes the crease less noticeable by reducing reflections. That finish brings trade-offs: it slightly reduces contrast and can produce a hazy effect when the display is viewed from an angle. Samsung’s glossy foldable displays may remain better for watching videos and viewing photos, yet Apple’s display arguably looks cleaner overall because reflections do not highlight the crease as much. Apple has not eliminated the crease, but it has reduced its visual prominence.
Apple made a similar compromise with the under-display camera. Its image quality is described as average, but hiding the camera beneath the display provides an uninterrupted viewing area. Samsung previously used an under-display camera on its foldables before removing it in favor of better image quality; that choice means the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a visible camera cutout on its main display.
Durability and the broader design trade-offs
On durability, the iPhone Duo carries an IP68 rating, while Samsung’s latest foldables remain at IP48. We do not know whether Samsung’s obsession with making its foldables thinner is preventing it from offering complete dust resistance. Whatever the reason, Apple has delivered something Galaxy Z Fold users have been requesting for years.
The article suggests Samsung may sometimes focus too heavily on perfecting individual components rather than the overall experience. Samsung opted for better camera quality over an uninterrupted display, chose a glossy panel with stronger contrast instead of a matte finish that better conceals the crease, and produced a remarkably thin and lightweight foldable that still lacks an IP68 rating. By contrast, Apple appears to have prioritized the things buyers immediately see or worry about, even when addressing them required compromises elsewhere.
That does not mean Apple made the right choice for every user. Some will prefer Samsung’s sharper display, better inner camera quality, thinner design, and lower weight. The point made is that specifications are only one part of what makes an expensive device feel polished.
Samsung’s cautious color choices are another example: its pastel finishes are pleasant and approachable but rarely give Galaxy devices the stronger visual identity that some competing phones have. Samsung already appears to understand this lesson on the software side, as One UI has continued to evolve into a more cohesive and visually polished experience. However, Samsung probably did not expect Apple to teach it the same lesson through hardware in a category Samsung pioneered.
