Samsung has taken a playful jab at Apple with a new promotional video for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, featuring an apple that simply can’t fold — a pointed dig at Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo, which has been drawing user reports of screen issues since launch. The Korean tech giant is leveraging its advertising rivalry with its biggest competitor to highlight its years of experience in the foldable smartphone space, roughly one month after Apple entered the category. The video was published as a sponsored post on Instagram and has already sparked widespread conversation on social media — both for its humor and for the way Samsung is drawing attention to the differences between the two devices.
Samsung: The apple that can’t fold and the comparison with the iPhone Duo
The ad opens with a green apple being sliced. One of the pieces then attempts to fold — and fails — in an unmistakable reference to Apple’s foldable handset. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 then takes center stage, opening and closing effortlessly, with Samsung highlighting its slimmer profile and lighter build. According to the specs presented in the ad, the Korean company’s device is 1.6mm thinner and 53 grams lighter than the iPhone Duo. The spot closes with the tagline “Years ahead in Foldables,” a statement Samsung uses to underscore its long-standing leadership in the foldable phone category.
Screen crack reports and the “crackgate” controversy
The timing of the ad’s release coincides with a wave of user reports about screen problems on the iPhone Duo, which began surfacing on the very day the device launched. Some owners have reported cracks appearing on their displays, prompting the term “crackgate” to start trending on social media. However, as Android Authority notes, there is currently insufficient data to determine whether these are isolated incidents or a widespread manufacturing defect affecting a larger number of units. Samsung is clearly capitalizing on the conversation surrounding the new iPhone’s durability — though it remains unconfirmed whether there is a systemic screen failure at play.
Foldable iPhone Duo devices are reportedly breaking in large numbers, with displays failing along the hinge crease. Buyers in Japan, China, Australia, and other countries have reported the same issue. In some cases, the display reportedly fails while the phone is still on display in stores. The symptoms are identical: after just a few days of use, a black line appears across the screen.
— Play4Index (@Play4Index) October 23, 2026
Public reactions and Samsung’s history of taking shots at Apple
The video has drawn mixed reactions across social media. Many users are amused by the image of an apple that can’t fold, while others have dismissed the approach as juvenile. That said, this is far from the first time Samsung has used humor to comment on Apple’s products. Past campaigns — including “Ingenius” and “Growing Up” — satirized iPhone limitations and features, and a more recent ad even featured a Tim Cook look-alike to promote one of Samsung’s foldable devices. Google has taken a similar approach with its “Best Phones Forever” series, in which various smartphones face off in lighthearted comparisons.
