The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, September 18, 2026, that people who have long used Samsung foldable phones were not impressed by Apple's foldable iPhone. According to WSJ, the reaction from these Samsung devotees fell short of enthusiasm.
Coverage of the device appeared across several outlets the same day. ITmedia Mobile published a first-look piece by writer Junya Ishino, who described five years of foldable experience and said the polish of the "iPhone Duo" surprised him, framing the question as whether software can redefine the category. A separate ITmedia NEWS hands-on, carried by Yahoo! News, examined the device from an enthusiast's angle and pointed to details including the inability to split kana input and a hidden setting that appears only when a case is attached.
ZDNET Japan drew a broader comparison, noting that the three Apple announcements shared a common thread: features already available on Android. Diamond Online also carried the WSJ report on Samsung users' cool response.
Taken together, the early coverage suggests Apple's entry into foldables is being measured against hardware and software that rival devices have offered for years, with reviewers focusing on execution details rather than novelty. The WSJ account, meanwhile, points to a skeptical audience among those already accustomed to folding screens.
What to watch next: whether hands-on impressions of the iPhone Duo shift as more reviewers spend time with the device, and how Samsung responds.