Google’s Android president on Apple iPhone Duo: ‘Android is usually where you see the future first’

(Image credit: Future) Even before the iPhone Duo launched, Android and Samsung fans were ribbing Apple for being so late to the foldable phone party. After all, the first Galaxy Fold launched in 2019.Right after the Apple September event, Samsung tweeted “Let us know when you're done reheating our leftovers.”Now that we’re edging closer to the iPhone Duo pre-order date of Oct 16, I thought it would be interesting to get the reaction of Sameer Samat, who is the president of Android Ecosystem at Google.We were sitting down to talk about the new Googlebook push, but since those laptops are powered by Android, I wanted to ask him what he thought about Apple’s foldable entry versus Android foldables.Better late than neverAs you might expect, Samat pointed out that Apple’s foldable launch is a wee bit behind the Android camp.“I think that it's wonderful to see more people realizing after so long that the foldable space is the place to be. And Android is usually where you see the future first.”It’s true that Android beat Apple to the foldable punch by a long shot, including the wide passport form factor the iPhone Duo has. Samat has been using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and is a big fan of that device in particular.Sign up to the Tom's iGuide weekly newsletter with coverage on everything from product launches to software updates, this is your go-to source for the latest updates on all the best Apple content.“The Fold 8 is an amazing device, Samat said. “It helps me get so much work done. I actually find myself starting productivity quite often on that device, and then moving to my laptop.”But the Duo is still a real threatAt the same time, analysts predict a big foldable phone market share for Apple. For example, Counterpoint Research says Apple will gain about 25% of the market in year one, growing to 40% by the end of 2027.A lot of that likely has to do with the ecosystem factor. I did a story recently ranking the iPhone Duo trade-offs — from the lack of telephoto zoom to a heavier weight versus the Fold 8 — and this reader comment summed up the pent-up demand best.“Seriously, I've been waiting since the first Galaxy Z Fold for Apple to enter the arena (tried the Fold 5 and Fold 6, but just couldn't do Android because I'm locked into the rest of Apple's ecosystem).”Despite Apple’s momentum at the moment, Samat is confident that the Duo will have a halo effect on Android foldables, because it will only increase interest in the category overall.“I think that what this speaks to is something that we've known for a long time in the Android ecosystem, which is that the foldable space, the foldable form factor is awesome.”Apple = app advantage?In addition, Apple could have a sizable advantage when it comes to app support for larger foldable displays, as it is making a big push with developers. In fact, Apple specifically called out Slack during its event as one of the optimized apps, which as we speak still looks like a stretched out phone app on Android foldables.Samat admitted that there’s still work to be done. And ironically Apple’s entry could be the tide to lift Android’s boat.“I think that as this form factor becomes more and more popular, developers realize that there's more and more value in investing in it,” Samat said. “I think one of the things that we've done is to make the tools simpler and easier for them to invest in. And of course there are apps that haven't made that transition yet. Either they're working on it, or we're in conversations with them, but there are also thousands of thousands of apps that have.”We talked about one of those apps in TikTok, which works very well on the Samsung Fold 8. You get an immersive viewing experience on the outside display, and on the inside you can scroll videos on the left and view comments on the right.In addition, many of Google’s own apps have been fully optimized for foldables, including Gmail and YouTube.“We can cherry pick an app or two that you know one platform will have or the other platform will have, but the reality is this form factor is a hit,” Samat said. “It's growing. It was growing even before these last couple weeks, and I'm glad to see more people joining what is now the obvious party.” Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. More from Tom's GuideiPhone Duo hands-on: Apple nailed it — and just put everyone else on noticeiPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8I spent 30 minutes with the iPhone Duo — 3 things you just don't get from the pictures Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.