Samsung Takes Its iPhone Duo Trolling to the Streets With Billboard Trucks in Canada

Samsung is not letting the iPhone Duo's rough start go to waste. After an ad that slices an apple in half, the company has now sent billboard trucks through Toronto and Vancouver. They show a cracked foldable screen and ask people to "Switch to Galaxy Z Fold8."

The campaign started on Samsung Canada's Instagram and TikTok accounts on October 29. The images show a bright line across ordinary photos, such as a girl eating a doughnut and a spiral staircase. The captions read "Folding is nothing new to us" and "Folding. We know a thing or eight."

On October 30, MobileSyrup reported that mobile billboards were already driving through Toronto and Vancouver. Samsung says the trucks will also visit Montreal. BigGo adds that Samsung ran similar comparative ads through its Saudi Arabia account. A Samsung spokesperson called it a "playful new campaign."

A few days earlier, Samsung released a video in which a green apple marked "New" rolls across an open Galaxy Z Fold8. The phone folds shut and cuts the apple into pieces. The ad claims the Fold8 is 1.6mm thinner and 53g lighter than the iPhone Duo. Notebookcheck calls that a legitimate criticism.

Those figures come from Samsung. Android Headlines earlier listed the iPhone Duo at 254g, so by that math the Fold8 would weigh around 201g.

Owners have reported a crunch or pop when opening the phone, followed by cracks or bright lines across the crease. The internet has started calling it "Crackgate." Reports have come from the US, Canada and Australia.

Apple says an issue affects the inner display on "a small number" of iPhone Duo units, and it tells owners to contact AppleCare for a replacement. It has not shared a failure rate. JerryRigEverything also pointed to stress points in the hinge in his teardown.

It is hard to say. The Duo costs $1,999 for 256GB, while the Fold8 costs $1,899. MacRumors notes that Fold8 orders show delivery on November 3, but Duo orders online have been backordered until January. That gap alone could push some buyers to Samsung.

In my opinion, Samsung's timing is smart, but it is also risky. Its first Galaxy Fold review units broke back in 2019, and Apple fans have been quick to remind people. Mocking a rival's first attempt works only while your own record stays clean.

Even so, I think the ads show how seriously Samsung takes the Duo. If Apple fixes the problem quickly, the jokes may age badly. If it doesn't, Samsung may get a lot of free advertising.