Domestic sales of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Fold 8 rose about 10% week on week during the seven days from Sept. 10, when Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, through the previous day, according to industry sources cited on Sept. 17. The increase ran counter to expectations that buyers would delay purchases ahead of Apple’s first foldable iPhone. Industry watchers attributed the shift to pent-up demand moving toward Samsung’s device as consumers reacted negatively to the iPhone Duo’s pricing, specifications and launch timeline. The iPhone Duo costs between 3.29 million won and 5.09 million won in South Korea, compared with 2.28 million won to 3.15 million won for the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Analysts say the iPhone Duo may struggle to compete on price, especially as some consumers already hesitate over foldables costing around 3 million won. The devices offer broadly similar specifications despite the price gap: Apple’s A20 Pro processor competes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Galaxy Z Fold 8, while both use foldable panels from Samsung Display and the latest memory chips from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Samsung’s phone is also lighter and thinner than the iPhone Duo, and its Galaxy AI system, which integrates Google Gemini and the Perplexity AI engine, is rated ahead of Apple’s Siri AI. The iPhone Duo is scheduled for global release late next month, with Korean-language support for Siri AI expected sometime next month. Samsung Electronics plans to rely on product competitiveness as Apple’s entry is expected to expand the foldable market. Counterpoint Research projects Samsung will lead the sector this year with a 38% share, followed by Apple at 25%.