Back on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra After the iPhone Duo

Quick summary: I spent almost two weeks living with the iPhone Duo, and I’ve now been back on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for four or five days. Honestly? It feels so good to be back. Here’s what I noticed, what I miss (spoiler: not much), and why this phone feels like home.

Key takeaways

• Battery life is the one area where the iPhone Duo had an edge, but the Fold 8 Ultra still gets me from about 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Android has a smooth, fluid feel that the iPhone Duo just doesn’t have for me.
• App compatibility is a huge relief: more than nine times out of ten, apps just work on the Fold.
• Being back in the Galaxy ecosystem with my Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds On and glasses ties everything together.

Battery life vs. the iPhone Duo

Battery life is probably the biggest thing I’d point to on the iPhone Duo side. But I’m honestly not that upset with the Fold 8 Ultra. I’m getting roughly 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. out of it, which I’ve been happy with. It doesn’t quite match the iPhone Duo, but it comes semi-close, and that’s been nice.

Android just feels more fluid

This is the biggest thing for me. When I was using the iPhone Duo, part of it was muscle memory not being fully there, but there’s also something about the way you use that phone that feels a little robotic. It’s smooth and it’s fast, but it feels stiff.

With Android, I can go all over the place and it just works. Swiping around, unlocking with the fingerprint sensor and jumping between things has a fluidity the iPhone doesn’t have. The best way I can describe the iPhone feel is the old tank controls in the original Resident Evil games. Smooth, but kind of locked in.

The one downside of that freedom

That fluidity can actually cause problems for the older people in my life who use Android phones. They swipe, accidentally move their apps around, and suddenly their home screen is a mess. So for all the older folks I know with Samsung Galaxy or other Android phones, I always lock their home screens for them. It’s a small tip, but it saves a lot of headaches.

App compatibility is a relief

The other big thing about being back: all my apps just work. I know the iPhone Duo is a brand-new system that’s only weeks old, and a lot of apps are still catching up on how they use that screen. On the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, more than nine times out of ten when I open an app, it just works the way I expect. Coming from the iPhone Duo, that has been so nice.

This is home

Going back to the Fold 8 Ultra feels like coming home. Over the four or five days since I officially switched back, there’s nothing I’ve personally missed about the iPhone Duo. It’s been pure joy.

That said, I’m not trashing the iPhone Duo. It’s a fun phone, and I have a lot of good things to say about it. I’m just a Galaxy guy, and it’s going to be very hard for anyone to pull me away from that ecosystem.

The Galaxy ecosystem ties it all together

Being back means everything works together again: my Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Buds On (I’ve been doing a bunch of videos on those), and my glasses. That ecosystem is a big part of why I love being on this side.

What’s next

I’ll definitely have more videos on the iPhone Duo and the Z Fold 8. I might even switch back to the regular Fold 8 for a while later in the year to see whether I miss anything. Have you switched from one side to the other? Do you miss something about Galaxy or iPhone? Let me know in the comments on the video.

Links from the video

• Buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8 / Z Fold 8 Ultra at Samsung
• Galaxy Z Fold 8 Benks Crystal Case (code GREGGLESTV)
• Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Benks Crystal Case (code GREGGLESTV)
• My favorite phone grips from OhSnap