[Edaily Reporter Han Kwangbeom ] SamsungElectronics(005930)has set a new all-time record for Galaxy smartphone pre-sales in South Korea, selling 1.44 million units of its new foldable phones—the “Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8” during the domestic pre-sale period. Notably, the 1030 generation accounted for half of the pre-order customers on Samsung.com, with the younger demographic driving the strong sales.
SamsungElectronics announced on the 4th that a total of 1.44 million units were sold during the seven-day Galaxy Z series pre-sales period, which ran from July 28 to August 3. This translates to approximately 140 units sold per minute during the pre-sales period.
This record breaks the all-time pre-sales record (1.38 million units over 11 days) set by the “Galaxy Note10” in August 2019—a record that had stood for seven years. It also surpassed the previous record held by the “Galaxy S26 Series” (2026, 1.35 million units) and that of its predecessors, the “Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7” (2025, 1.04 million units).
By model during the pre-order period, the “Galaxy Z Fold8” accounted for about 70% of sales, demonstrating strong preference for the new form factor. By color, the Fold8 was most popular in Cream and Graphite, while the Fold8 Ultra was most popular in Graphite and Violet Shadow. For the Flip 8, Pink and Cream were popular, while Pistachio and Mint—colors exclusive to Samsung.com and the Samsung Gangnam store—were particularly favored.
SamsungElectronics cited high interest from the 1030 demographic, its ability to attract female customers through design competitiveness, and differentiated pre-order benefits as key factors behind the pre-sale success. The screen size—optimized for immersive content such as short-form videos, webtoons, games, and e-books—and multitasking performance are believed to have driven demand among younger consumers.
Purchases by female customers also increased significantly. Based on Samsung.com data, the number of female customers in their 10s to 30s who purchased the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra more than doubled compared to the previous model. The industry attributes this surge in interest from female consumers to the new 4:3 aspect ratio and stylish design, which garnered attention and positive reviews, particularly on social media.
Competitive global pricing and pre-order benefits also drove sales. One in two customers who purchased unlocked devices on Samsung.com joined the “New Galaxy AI Subscription Club.” Analysts attribute the high sign-up rate to a combination of the “Double Storage” benefit—which upgrades a 256GB purchase to 512GB—and a program guaranteeing up to 50% of the residual value upon return after one year. In particular, exclusive benefits such as the “Flip Youth Subscription” for Flip 8 unlocked customers also contributed to increased sign-ups among younger demographics.
Furthermore, word is spreading about the enhanced user convenience provided by features such as “Smart Switch,” which enables wireless data transfer via QR code without installing a separate app, and “Quick Share,” which improves the ease of sharing between iOS and Galaxy devices.
Pre-order customers can begin activating their devices sequentially starting on the 4th, and the official launch is scheduled to begin in South Korea on the 7th, followed by over 100 countries worldwide.
