Tim Cook Has an Announcement, Samsung Puts the Galaxy Z Fold 8 in Palmy’s Hands

Samsung New Zealand found a property agent named Tim Cook in Palmerston North, handed him a Galaxy Z Fold 8, and filmed him like an Apple keynote. Glasses, quiet clothes, calm delivery. Caption on the post: “Tim Cook has an announcement. And for once, it’s about Galaxy.”

He opens with “Hi. I’m Tim Cook, from Palmy,” then treats the phone like a finished product instead of a rumor. Lines land in Apple’s usual register: “the future is here,” “with this phone everything changes,” “this thing is the best of both worlds.” He closes the spot the way a press quote should close. “Best phone I’ve ever had. You can quote me. Tim Cook from Palmerston North.”

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Apple spent Wednesday, September 9th, announcing the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, in a major event that also saw Tim Cook pass the CEO torch to John Ternus, but not completely, as Cook is now the chairman. Meanwhile, Samsung thought they had the last laugh, re-releasing their New Zealand short, which essentially summarizes the entire joke. Same name, similar appearance, hostile opponent, and a category Samsung has dominated since the Galaxy Fold debuted in 2019.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 ultimately appeared in July, months, a full three months before Apple decided to release the iPhone Duo. It has a 5.5-inch screen on the outside and a 7.6-inch one on the inside, and weighs only 201 grams. They go on and on about how this is the lightest fold that Samsung has launched. The iPhone Duo comes in a similar sleek tiny shape, short and wide like a passport, with a 5.4-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch inside display, although it is a touch heavier, at 254 grams.

“Welcome to Foldables” sums up the entire campaign, and the message is clear, but it doesn’t stop Samsung from having their say. Then there was the spot they ran the day before Apple’s big event, claiming that the Fold 8 was the world’s lightest foldable phone. When the iPhone Duo arrived, Samsung Mobile US chipped in with “Let us know when you’re done reheating our leftovers,” and “So far, so good,” in case you missed the purpose of the whole thing. The company put up billboards in Seoul, Tokyo, London, and New York with the same welcome message, but that wasn’t enough for Samsung, who also poked fun at Apple for taking what seemed like an eternity to unveil their foldable display, referring to the now-outdated Galaxy Z Tri Fold, which could have easily been a three-panel effort.