SamsungElectronics(005930)[Edaily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] Samsung Electronics’ new foldable smartphone series, the “Galaxy Z8,” has set a new record for pre-sales in South Korea. With pre-order records being broken, shipping delays, and temporary sell-outs occurring in major overseas markets as well, anticipation for the device’s official launch on the 7th is growing.

SamsungElectronics announced on the 4th that it sold a total of 1.44 million units during the domestic pre-sales period for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8, which ran from the 28th of last month through the 3rd of this month. This marks the highest volume ever recorded for pre-sales of a Galaxy smartphone.

The previous record was 1.38 million units sold by the Galaxy Note 10 over 11 days in 2019. It also surpassed the 1.35 million units sold by the Galaxy S26 series earlier this year and the 1.04 million units sold by the Fold 7 and Flip 7 last year. Sales were 400,000 units, or approximately 38.5%, higher than those of the previous-generation foldables.

The Fold 8 was the driving force behind this record. It accounted for approximately 70% of total pre-sales. While the Flip, which folds vertically, drove the initial popularity of foldable phones, the Fold—which can be used like a tablet when unfolded—has now emerged as the market’s mainstay.

The Fold 8 has been redesigned with a different aspect ratio and reduced thickness and weight so that it can be used similarly to a standard bar-style smartphone when folded. The increase in content—such as short-form videos, webtoons, games, and e-books—that is best viewed on a large screen is also believed to have driven demand for the Fold.

The customer base has also broadened. Among pre-order customers on Samsung.com, those in their teens through 30s accounted for about half. The number of young female customers who purchased the Fold 8 series more than doubled compared to the previous model. This indicates that demand for the Fold, which was previously Namsung-dominated, is spreading to younger and female customers.

During the domestic pre-order period, the estimated delivery dates for some popular models were pushed back to late August. It appears that the initial supply was quickly sold out during the pre-order phase.

Early signs of success have also emerged overseas. On Samsung’s official online store in Japan, certain color variants of the 256GB Fold 8 were temporarily sold out during the pre-order period. On Samsung.com in the U.S., delivery schedules for popular color and storage combinations were also pushed back.

In India, more than 271,000 units of the Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8, and Flip 8 were pre-ordered within 72 hours of their unveiling. Considering that it took 15 days for the previous model to reach a similar sales volume, the sales pace has accelerated significantly.

Forty-five percent of the pre-orders in India came from medium-sized and small cities, rather than major metropolitan areas. This indicates that demand for high-end premium foldables is spreading beyond major cities to the broader region.

This success demonstrates that foldable phones are establishing themselves as a major option among premium smartphones, rather than remaining high-priced products sought only by a select group of early adopters. It can also be interpreted as a sign that consumers are beginning to recognize the appeal of foldables in terms of large screens and multitasking.

However, it remains to be seen whether the pre-sale enthusiasm will carry over to general sales after the launch. This is because the offer of double storage capacity and subscription programs played a role in driving pre-order demand. Given that inventory allocations vary by country, it is also difficult to definitively interpret delivery delays as an indicator of the product’s success.

SamsungElectronics will sequentially launch the Galaxy Z8 series in approximately 100 countries worldwide, including South Korea, starting on the 7th. If the Galaxy Z8 continues its growth momentum in overseas sales following its record-breaking pre-sales in South Korea, it is expected to serve as a catalyst for revitalizing the foldable phone market, which had been stagnating.