Android-powered foldable phones have been available for years, but most people never paid attention to them. As predicted, that could be changing now that Apple has entered the folding phone market with the iPhone Duo. Analysts have speculated that Samsung's Z8 foldables were seeing a boost from the iPhone announcement, and now Samsung has seemingly confirmed that.
In a new blog post, Samsung UK crows that the company's 2026 foldable lineup is moving much faster than last year's models. Compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, combined European sales for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are up 45 percent. Samsung isn't talking about Z Flip 8 sales, but it previously noted that its larger foldables made up about 80 percent of foldable purchases. We can assume any increase there is not impressive enough to mention.
The reason for flat Z Flip sales may simply be that Apple didn't release a flip phone. Unsurprisingly, Samsung doesn't mention Apple or the iPhone Duo in its press release. However, it does say that search volume for the Z8 series across Europe spiked 460 percent the week of September 6 to 12. And guess what was announced on September 9? Yep, the iPhone Duo. Z Fold 8 search volume across the entire month of September (when the phones launched) was up 260 percent.
Β© Ryan Whitwam
The iPhone Duo has a 4,883mAh battery. See how it compares with Samsung, Google, Motorola, and other premium phones.
The post iPhone Duo Battery Revealed: How It Compares to Samsung, Google, and More appeared first on TechRepublic.
The iPhone Duo has a 4,883mAh battery. See how it compares with Samsung, Google, Motorola, and other premium phones.
The post iPhone Duo Battery Revealed: How It Compares to Samsung, Google, and More appeared first on TechRepublic.
Bitcoin Magazine
Crypto Card Payments Hit Record $12.5 Billion as Stablecoin Adoption Surges
Payment volume processed on crypto cards has climbed to a record $12.5 billion, up 140% year-to-date, according to data from paymentscan.xyz, first shared by The Kobeissi Letter.
The figure is also 247% higher than levels recorded in October 2025.
The surge is being driven by growing use of stablecoins as a payment rail and a broader push for cheaper, faster cross-border transactions, The Kobeissi Letter said.
BREAKING: The total volume of payments processed on crypto cards has reached a record $12.5 billion, up +140% year-to-date.
β The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) October 6, 2026
This also marks +247% growth compared to levels seen in October 2025.
Continued adoption of stablecoins as a payment rail and the push toward cross-border⦠pic.twitter.com/8AMiahkD0F
QR-code payments are another bright spot: demand for QR-based spending helped push activated cards on Jupiter Spend, one of the largest on-chain card providers, up 55% quarter-over-quarter.
βCrypto cards are the next phase of crypto adoption,β The Kobeissi Letter said.
The figures come as major players move into the space of crypto cards. Fold Holdings (NASDAQ: FLD) announced earlier this year that it had started issuing its Fold Bitcoin Credit Card to select waitlist members, with wider access rolling out in batches over the coming weeks and months.Β
The card runs on the Visa network, is powered by Stripe Issuing and is accepted at 175 million merchants. It offers a base rate of 1.5% back in bitcoin, rising to as much as 4% through behavior-based boosts and partner offers. Cardholders who pay their bill in bitcoin earn an extra 0.5% back.
Aven has taken a different approach. Its Aven Bitcoin Visa Card, unveiled at the Bitcoin Conference 2026 in Las Vegas, lets holders borrow up to $1 million against their bitcoin without selling it, with rates starting at 7.99% APR and repayment terms of up to 10 years.Β
Collateral is held by BitGo, while Coastal Community Bank issues the card.
This post Crypto Card Payments Hit Record $12.5 Billion as Stablecoin Adoption Surges first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.
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