Samsung finds a Tim Cook who’s ready to switch sides

Samsung New Zealand has found itself a rather convenient new Galaxy convert: Tim Cook. Just not "that" Tim Cook.

In a series of cheeky social videos, the brand enlisted Tim Cook from Palmerston North, New Zealand, to sing the praises of its Galaxy Z Fold8, playing on the name he shares with Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The first video, posted on Instagram on 11 September, sees Cook reviewing his new foldable and declaring that “the future is here”, before running through features including its compact folded form, larger unfolded display, AI capabilities and photo-editing tools.

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After using the device to edit a photograph of himself, Cook settles on his new profile picture before delivering the punchline: “Best phone I’ve ever had. You can quote me, Tim Cook, from Palmerston North.”

Samsung New Zealand doubled down on the gag with another post that same day, featuring Cook alongside the claim that he had “switched to Galaxy”.

The brand kept the bit running the following day, releasing another video in which Cook explained why he had finally made the switch to the Galaxy Z Fold8 and highlighted some of the device’s features.

He also joked that his move to Samsung appeared to be a surprisingly big deal, although he could not quite understand why.

Samsung returned to its unlikely spokesperson once again in a subsequent unboxing video. Cook is seen admiring the device's look and feel before asking: “Why would any Tim Cook go for anything else?”

The social series builds on Samsung’s long-running habit of taking playful shots at Apple, with the rivalry resurfacing following the launch of the iPhone 18 Duo on 10 September. Samsung Mobile US responded with posts including “Welcome to the fold” and “Let us know when you're done reheating our leftovers”, leaning on its own history in the foldable category to poke fun at its rival.

Samsung was not alone in jumping on the moment. Apple’s foldable debut prompted reactive posts from brands including AirAsia MOVE, Canva, Duolingo, KitKat, Motorola and Wingstop Singapore, turning the launch into a wider social conversation beyond the two smartphone rivals.

The attention was reflected in the numbers. According to CARMA, Apple’s iPhone 18 launch generated 464,674 mentions and 21.5 million engagements globally between 12 August and 11 September, with the iPhone Duo appearing in 49.2% of launch-related mentions. While Apple dominated the conversation, Samsung also benefited from the comparisons, with its positive mentions peaking at 4,170 on 10 September.

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