iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8: User recreates Apple’s unfolding animation on Samsung foldable

Apple’s newly unveiled iPhone Duo has already left at least one Galaxy Z Fold 8 user wanting a similar software experience. Soon after Apple showcased its first foldable iPhone, a developer recreated one of its most noticeable features on Samsung’s latest foldable.

Must Read: iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: Features, build, storage and price compared

The recreation brings the iPhone Duo’s unfolding animation to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, making the software respond as the device opens. The result looks similar to Apple’s implementation, but there is a catch. The feature is not integrated into Samsung’s software and instead works as a third-party proof of concept created by the user.

iPhone Duo animation recreated on Galaxy Z Fold 8

The developer, Reddit user u/moomanjohnny, shared the recreation on Reddit, showing how the iPhone Duo-style animation could look on the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

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On Apple’s foldable, the blue effect appears to stay fixed in place as the phone unfolds. The apps and home-screen content also remain in position as the display opens, creating the impression that the software is moving along with the device. App icons gradually come into focus as the screen becomes wider, in line with Apple’s Liquid Glass design.

How the user recreated the animation

The developer used custom code, Android APIs and pre-captured screenshots to recreate the effect. First, live angle readings were extracted from the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s built-in hinge extension sensor.

The developer then used an Android app created specifically for the test to map an Android Graphics Shading Language (AGSL) shader across both displays through the Presentation API.

Instead of rendering live apps while the phone unfolds, the app loads screenshots of the inner and outer home screens. As the phone opens, the shader interpolates between the two screenshots in real time, matching the speed and exact angle of the unfolding motion.

However, the recreation has limitations. Samsung’s One UI does not provide third-party apps with deep system-level SystemUI access. This means the implementation remains a standalone proof-of-concept app rather than a functional, interactive home launcher.

The recreation has nevertheless caught attention on Reddit, with commenters suggesting that even a Good Lock-style implementation could be useful.