Samsung & Duolingo Troll iPhone Duo Launch, Says Apple 'Copied Us'

Apple's unveiling of its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, ended up being overshadowed on social media by a running joke between Samsung and language-learning app Duolingo. While the iPhone Duo's nearly Rs. 3 lakh price tag and foldable design dominated the official keynote on September 9, it was the online banter between the two brands that drew much of the attention afterward.

Samsung mocks Apple's late entry into foldables

Within minutes of Apple revealing the iPhone Duo, Samsung Mobile US began posting a series of sarcastic remarks on X aimed at its longtime rival. Rather than a single response, Samsung put out a string of jabs referencing its own history in the foldable segment, which it entered in 2019 with the Galaxy Fold. Posts included lines about Apple 'reheating Samsung's leftovers and comparisons to 'Groundhog Day', framing Apple's foldable debut as playing catch-up rather than innovating.

Duolingo drawn into the exchange

The back-and-forth took a turn when Samsung referenced Duolingo, apologising to the app for what it called Apple copying its branding too, a nod to the 'iPhone Duo' name echoing Duolingo's green owl mascot, Duo. Duolingo responded in kind, joking that Apple had named a phone after it and "made it bend over," and later drawing a price comparison between the device and its own free app feature named Duo.

The exchange continued when Duolingo replied to Samsung's "solidarity" post with a jab calling it an "ugly stranger," to which Samsung shot back, "Ugly?? Watch your language."

Marketing rivalry overshadows the hardware

Despite Apple showcasing the iPhone Duo's titanium build, 7.6-inch foldable display, and multitasking features during the keynote, much of the post-launch conversation online centred on the rivalry between Samsung and Duolingo rather than the device itself.

Part of a broader pattern for Samsung

The episode fits into Samsung's recurring strategy of asserting its first-mover advantage in foldables whenever Apple enters a category later, using social media moments to reinforce that positioning. Humour-driven marketing around major tech launches has become increasingly common, with brands competing to control the online narrative alongside their competing products.