Samsung Mocks Apple’s Foldable iPhone Duo With Social Media Taunt

Samsung Mobile US posted a series of messages on X during Apple’s Surprise and Shine event where the iPhone Duo was introduced at a starting price of $1,999. One post read, «Let us know when you’re done reheating our leftovers,» while others included «So far, so same» and the hashtag #ItsTimeToSwitch. The messages referenced Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, which launched earlier this year with a similar book-style design, according to multiple reports of the exchange.

Apple’s iPhone Duo adopts a passport-shaped fold that opens into a larger inner display, a format Samsung first brought to market with the original Galaxy Fold in 2019. The new device measures 4.5 mm thick when unfolded and includes enhancements such as Ceramic Shield 2 glass, John Ternus, Apple’s CEO, said during the presentation. Samsung had already begun promoting its own foldables with billboards in major cities that read «Welcome to Foldables» and highlighted reductions in device weight.

TrendForce projected global foldable smartphone shipments to reach approximately 20.2 million units in 2026, a modest 0.5 percent increase from the prior year. Apple is expected to ship 5 million iPhone Duo units and secure a 24.8 percent market share in its first year, the research firm reported. Samsung is forecast to lead with 7.1 million units and a 35.1 percent share while Huawei matches Apple’s volume at 5 million units.

Samsung has stressed its experience refining foldable technology since its debut model, which initially faced durability issues that later generations addressed through improved hinges and screens. The company noted a 1.6-fold increase in iOS users switching to its latest Galaxy Z Fold8 series compared with the prior generation, a Samsung spokesperson told CNBC. In the United States, 30 percent of Galaxy Z Flip8 buyers came from competing brands.

Counterpoint Research had earlier estimated that Apple’s entry would drive 21 percent year-over-year growth in the foldable segment for 2026, with Samsung’s share declining from 40 percent in 2025 to 32 percent. The iPhone Duo is set for pre-orders starting October 16 and general availability on October 23. Samsung also engaged in the online banter by joking about the Duo name overlapping with the Duolingo app, prompting a response from the language-learning service.