Samsung doesn’t have a foldable rival from Apple yet. Not a real one. The iPhone Duo goes toe-to-toe with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, sure, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is still sitting comfortably at the top with no iPhone equivalent in sight. For now. Because according to SamMobile, Apple is already working on something bigger.
Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to release an iPhone Duo Max in the coming years. Think larger screen, possibly around the 8-inch mark that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra already rocks. A separate Bloomberg report adds that the iPhone Duo lineup is also getting a telephoto camera and an upgraded Face ID system within the next two generations. Put those two reports together and you’ve got a pretty clear picture: Apple wants a foldable that punches at Samsung’s Ultra tier, not just its standard one.
This matters because the foldable phone market is still young and the competition is thin. Samsung has dominated this space for years, and while Google and others have taken shots, nobody has had Apple’s marketing muscle and ecosystem pull behind them. The iPhone Duo already showed Apple can build a credible foldable. An iPhone Duo Max would mean Apple is serious about owning the premium end of that market too.
And here’s the thing: Apple already has some real advantages. The iPhone Duo carries a 5,400mAh battery versus the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s 5,000mAh. Its processor is noticeably faster than what’s inside Samsung’s foldables. Add a telephoto camera to that package and Samsung’s job gets a lot harder.
So what does Samsung need to do? Quite a bit, honestly. To stay ahead, Samsung needs to seriously address some long-standing weak spots in its foldable lineup:
- Better cameras, full stop
- Faster wired and wireless charging
- A proper IP68 dust and water resistance rating
- A bigger cooling system to keep the chip running at full speed
- S Pen support to give power users a reason to stay
Samsung has had years of head start in foldables. But head starts don’t last forever, especially when Apple decides it wants to compete. The Galaxy Z Fold Ultra series is excellent right now, but Apple is clearly playing a long game here. Samsung needs to treat every next-gen foldable like it’s the one that has to beat a much tougher iPhone. Because soon enough, it will be.