Apple's first foldable iPhone, unofficially dubbed the iPhone Fold, is expected to debut in September. Now new leaks show how the phone will likely differ from the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup.
Apple is several years late to the foldable smartphone market, but don't count Apple out based on speed. After all, the company was late to MP3 players and smartphones — and the iPod and iPhone were the results.
Leakers with decent track records are showing dummy cases for the iPhone Fold on X. And that gives us a clear sense of how this foldable will set itself apart from the competition.
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iPhone Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Design differences
Most flagship foldables have roughly the same width and length as a regular smartphone when folded, but earlier leaks suggest Apple has adopted a wider design.
You can see that in the latest photos of alleged iPhone Fold dummy units and cases, from @MajinBuofficia on X (via Android Authority).
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Meanwhile, Samsung seems set to introduce a new version of its flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold Wide, that will have similar dimensions as the iPhone Fold. Recent leaks from Android Headlines show what the Fold Wide could look like. Still, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will likely retain a similar design and proportions as last year's Z Fold 7.
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Square edges on last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Early photos of the Z Fold 8 lineup show phones with sharper corners, like the Z Fold 7, while Apple appears to be embracing more rounded edges.
Both phones are expected to be ultra-thin, with an unfolded width under 5 mm, just like the Z Fold 7.
Samsung and Apple foldables: Other key differences
Apple will reportedly place the volume buttons on the top edge of the iPhone Fold, with a power and Touch ID button expected along the right edge.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 unfolded. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
A hypothetical rendering of the iPhone Fold. Credit: Mashable
The iPhone Fold will be running iOS (presumably iOS 27), while the Galaxy foldables will be running the latest version of Android.
More importantly, the iPhone Fold appears to have only two rear cameras, while the Z Fold 8 is expected to have three rear cameras. Leaks of the Z Fold Wide show two cameras, matching the iPhone Fold.
The iPhone Fold could have one big advantage over the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — it will fit more easily in pockets.
In design, Apple's device sits somewhere between flip-style foldables and tablet-style foldables. Overall, it looks more like the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which wasn't particularly well-received by our reviewer — or by the tech world at large.
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Againm we're mostly working from leaks and rumors at this point, and we don't know what we don't know. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a highly trusted name in this realm, recently reported that the iPhone Fold is on track for a 2026 launch, while the new Galaxy Z Fold smartphones are rumored to launch July 22.
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