Everyone thinks the iPhone Ultra will crush Samsung. They’re wrong

Apple won’t be able to waltz in and best the Galaxy Z Fold 8 by default. I understand the company’s track record and mass appeal, but the general consensus I’ve been seeing about Apple’s rumored iPhone Ultra assumes too much. I loved my hands-on time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and I can’t wait to get my review unit. It’s a refreshing form factor. And given how much I still enjoy my original Pixel Fold, I don’t expect the novelty to wear off as some claim.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has made me more interested in the upcoming iPhone Ultra, but Apple has more work to do than people think. I know Apple is still formidable, but Samsung has a chance to hold its own with the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Apple has yet to deliver multitasking on iOS

Book-style foldables have to be excellent productivity tools. Having a bigger phone to watch media on is great, but it’s not a reason that completely justifies the high premiums we pay.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a complete picture of what multitasking on iOS would look like. iPadOS gives us some clues, offering a windowed mode and split view for apps, but iPhones still don’t have that functionality. It’s not a given Apple would be able to port that experience seamlessly, and I’m not convinced the company is willing to give up that kind of control on iPhones.

For all of Samsung’s faults, multitasking is a solid experience on Galaxy phones. 90:10 multitasking is fantastic, and I love the flexibility of moving windows around with different orientations. App pairs are a wonderful tool that allows me to quickly open my frequently used favorites. iPadOS doesn’t have that, and given Apple’s hesitancy to allow anything that can change the user experience too much, I don’t know if we’d see them on an iPhone Ultra right away.

Samsung has a head start in other key areas

Hinges are hard. They have to work flawlessly for tens of thousands of folds without letting in debilitating dirt and debris. Foldables have undoubtedly become more durable over the last few years, and Samsung has learned the hard way. Apple wouldn’t be starting from scratch, and the company’s industrial design has always been strong. But creating a system that works reliably will have growing pains.

Samsung’s also worked out a number of other problems. App continuity between the cover screen and the internal display is smooth, and there’s a taskbar to keep things orderly and make better use of the expansive, unfolded canvas.

Android developers play a significant role in shaping the user experience, scaling apps to fit larger form factors. Apple doesn’t have that track record. And I’d be shocked if the company came up with a way to force the scaling of unsupported apps, as Samsung and Google do. Nothing is usually allowed to compromise the user experience on iPhone, but Apple’s going to need to take some chances if it wants a successful foldable.

Price is another consideration. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is undoubtedly steep at $1,900, but Apple isn’t exactly known for value. I could easily see the iPhone Ultra coming in north of $2,200, making it a financial consideration to go for the less expensive Galaxy Z Fold 8, especially if you aren’t tied to Apple’s ecosystem.

Apple will have plenty of advantages

I see why some predict that the iPhone Ultra will be a greater success than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, as Apple still has plenty at its disposal. The ecosystem is the main draw, even if it can be more of a prison than anything. However, people who just won’t make the switch to Android will finally have a foldable to purchase, and it’s hard to underestimate its appeal.

I mentioned Apple’s industrial design before, and the company is capable of producing some gorgeous products. Apple will probably lean in hard to its lifestyle branding, and don’t be surprised if it works. Samsung’s already laid the groundwork for that, and Motorola’s done a wonderful job making the Razr into a lifestyle product, but Apple’s been doing this for a long time, and its marketing machine is powerful.

Apple Intelligence has been more of a punchline than anything else, but I could see it as a significant reason to pick up an iPhone Ultra (or any future iOS device). iPhone users have almost 20 years’ worth of data stored on their phones and in iCloud backups. If Apple Intelligence could better organize that information and recall it meaningfully, iOS would become a desirable platform again.

It’ll be a horse race between the two

I know that the iPhone Ultra will have its audience, but it’s unfair to think it can walk in and dominate the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Samsung still has several advantages, and while it’s hard for many to break away from iOS, foldables really highlight Android’s strengths.

The devices are versatile and focused on productivity, both of which highlight the open nature of the Android platform. It’s tough for a single company to decide what the best working environment is for every user, but Apple has a track record of trying.

The iPhone Ultra will be an impressive device, but completely dismissing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 isn’t fair, and Samsung’s going to prove it.