September was a busy month. From the streets of Toyko (check out the new Technics EAH-A1000 headphones), to the winds of Maui (for Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit), and the cafes of Paris (for Loewe’s new coffee machine), there has been one consistent theme in my travels.
“Is that the new iPhone?” I’ve often been feverishly asked, from hotel check-in staff, to members of the public, even fellow journalists – there’s clearly an appetite for the new iPhone Duo. Except, here’s the thing, I’m using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 – the closest thing you’ll find to Apple’s foldable before launch.
“No, it’s the closest equivalent, but the iPhone Duo is almost exactly the same size,” I mean, I offer it over (with confidence) for people to look at. The reaction is always the same: “Oh, it’s a strange size!” While I agree on day one of my use, now other mobile phones feel almost too narrow
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
This bold new scale – with a 4:3 aspect ratio screen inside – is what was needed for the folding phone Apple cart (or ‘Apple Cart, if you like), but to offer a new proposal that redefined what the best folding phones can deliver. I suspect that many other phone manufacturers will follow suit in the near future.
The fascination with my Galaxy Z Fold 8, however, is due to the fact that Apple’s iPhone Duo is not yet on public sale. We’ll have to wait until the end of October for that – but even then, with its £/$2000 starting price, I suspect you won’t see many of them in the wild. Even Apple Insiders do not yet have the hardware to review.
The fascination probably won’t wear off anytime soon either, because this new folding format is so eye-catching from afar, but so compelling in use. I was asked by a lifestyle journalist how the physical fold affects everyday use, only to be told that, while there is some visibility at acute angles, face-on you won’t notice any folds.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Apple has to prove itself in that department, as the Duo is its first gen attempt. The technology here sounds fascinating, however, as Samsung’s Flex Titanium hinge impresses in the Z Fold 8 (and Ultra model as well). I spoke with Samsung engineers about how this conundrum was “impossible” but was solved thanks to a variety of clever solutions.
When the Z Fold 8 was first revealed, it captured the public’s imagination in August, with pre-orders up 17% year-on-year. Since Apple debuted the iPhone Duo this month, however, that’s seen an even bigger increase in people buying the Galaxy handset. Who would have thought, right? An Apple launches upselling an Android phone!
I love this renewed interest in folding phones, and am really looking forward to seeing how Apple’s injection into this section of the market works out. Because, just like the general public, interest is at a fever pitch – and as a daily Z Fold 8 user, I’m very much in that camp. Everything will become clearer in a few weeks, when the big questions about the new iPhone will be answered.