Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max wins 3 of 5. Buy Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 if you want the longest software support. Buy Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want better photos, longer battery life and to spend less.
The short answer
- CameraApple iPhone 18 Pro Max. Takes the better photos: camera score 9 out of 10, against 7.
- BatteryApple iPhone 18 Pro Max. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 9 out of 10, against 6. It has a 5391 mAh battery.
- SpeedIt's a tie
- UpdatesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold8. 7 years of updates promised.
- PriceApple iPhone 18 Pro Max. Costs 0% less.
Overall, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max wins 3 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹1,79,999 | ₹1,79,900 |
| Launched | 22 July 2026 | 9 September 2026 |
| Software now | One UI 9 (Android 17) (same as launch) | iOS 27.0.1, launched with iOS 27 |
| Rating | 8.3/10 | 8.9/10 |
| Battery | Gets through a day for most people (about 14 hours in GSMArena's test); 45W wired and 20W wireless charging. | The biggest iPhone battery yet; easily lasts a full day and more for most people. |
| Camera | Good 50MP main and 50MP wide-angle cameras, but no zoom lens. | Three 48MP cameras with a 4x zoom and a variable-aperture main camera; excellent video. |
| Speed | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is one of the fastest chips you can buy. | Top-tier speed with improved cooling, so it stays smooth in long games. |
| Catch | Very expensive, no zoom camera, only IP48 dust protection and quiet speakers. | Heavy at 249g and expensive; the 1TB and 2TB versions cost a lot more. |
| Updates | 7 years | 5 years |
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 7.6-inch foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (2448 x 1848, 4:3), 120Hz, 3000 nits peak; 5.5-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X cover screen, 120Hz, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 | 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits typical, 1600 nits HBM, 3000 nits peak, Ceramic Shield 2 with anti-reflective coating |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (3nm) | Apple A20 Pro (2nm) |
| CPU | 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L @ 4.74GHz + 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M @ 3.62GHz | 6-core: 2x performance @ 4.93GHz + 4x efficiency @ 2.64GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Adreno 840 @ 1.3GHz | Apple 7-core GPU |
| AI chip (NPU) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) | Dual 16-core Neural Engine (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 12GB RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.x; RAM type not officially stated) | 12GB RAM, 256GB (NVMe storage; RAM type not officially stated) |
| Battery | 4800 mAh | 5391 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired (about 63% in 30 min), 20W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired USB-C PD 3.2 (50% in about 15 min), 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless (50% in 30 min), 4.5W reverse wired |
| Cameras | 50MP main (f/1.8, 1/1.56", Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50MP ultrawide (f/1.9, 1/2.51", 120 degrees, PDAF); 10MP inner and 10MP cover selfie cameras | 48MP Fusion main (f/1.5-4.0 variable aperture, 24mm, sensor-shift OIS) + 48MP 4x periscope telephoto (f/2.8, 100mm) + 48MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 13mm, 120 degrees) + LiDAR; 18MP front |
| Water and dust | IP48 | IP68 |
| Size and weight | 4.5mm unfolded, 9.7mm folded thick, 201g | 8.8mm thick, 249g |
| Software | One UI 9 (Android 17) at launch, One UI 9 (Android 17) now | iOS 27 at launch, iOS 27.0.1 now |
| Updates | 7 years promised | 5 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 tri-band, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, UWB, USB-C 3.2, side fingerprint reader | Wi-Fi 7 (Apple N1 chip), Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort, UWB, satellite SOS and messaging |
| Modem | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) | Apple C2 5G modem (per launch coverage) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers (rated Average by GSMArena, -29.0 LUFS); haptics not detailed | Stereo speakers; haptics not officially detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | Not officially stated | Not officially stated |
| Cooling | Not officially stated | Redesigned vapor chamber with three times the surface area (Apple claim) |
| Colours | Graphite, Cream, Lavender, Pistachio | Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy |
Where to buy
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8₹1,79,999
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max₹1,79,900
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Waiting for a better price?See it here next time you open Tuvvo if any of these phones drops in price.
Common questions
- Which is better, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 or Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max?
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max wins 3 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 if you want the longest software support. Buy Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want better photos, longer battery life and to spend less.
- Which has the better camera?
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max takes the better photos.
- Which has the better battery life?
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max lasts longer on a charge.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- They are about even on speed.
- How much do they cost?
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 costs ₹1,79,999, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max costs ₹1,79,900.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: 7 years, now on One UI 9 (Android 17). Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max: 5 years, now on iOS 27.0.1.