Apple's recent announcement of the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, is proving beneficial for Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the broader foldable market. Although the iPhone Duo won't be available until next month, the announcement alone has generated significant industry attention, with reports indicating increased sales of Samsung's foldable devices as consumers become more interested in the form factor. This increased attention to foldables represents a shift in a market segment that has remained relatively niche despite Samsung's years of development in the space.

The foldable smartphone market remains small compared to conventional phones, with approximately 20.6 million units shipped last year against global smartphone shipments of 1.25 billion. Samsung, which currently dominates the foldable segment, has already responded to Apple's entry by reducing prices on some models. Apple's iPhone Duo brings technical innovations including a less noticeable display crease thanks to a matte nano-textured layer and a custom iOS interface optimised for multiple device layouts, improvements that industry observers expect other manufacturers will adopt, potentially elevating standards across the entire sector.