Samsung Electronics announced on September 6th that it will officially launch its latest foldable phones – the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, and Flip8 – in South Korea starting August 7.
The new lineup has already shown promise, with 1.44 million units sold during the week-long pre-sale period from July 28 to August 3. This surpasses the previous record of 1.38 million pre-sale units set by the Galaxy Note10 in 2019. Due to high demand, some retailers are advising pre-order customers they may need to wait until September for their devices.
The Fold8 was the clear favorite among pre-order customers, with 7 out of 10 opting for this model. Interestingly, half of the pre-order customers on Samsung.com were millennials and Gen Z. The number of young female customers purchasing the Fold8 Ultra and Fold8 more than doubled compared to the previous Fold7 model.
Samsung is also set to release its new smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Watch9, on the same day. Pre-sales for these devices have shown double-digit growth compared to their predecessors, with the Ultra2 seeing a notable 15% increase in female buyers.
The Fold8 comes in two versions: the Ultra with a expansive 203.1 mm display, and a standard model featuring a new aspect ratio. The Ultra is designed for multitasking on its large screen, while the standard model offers a 193.2 mm main screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio when unfolded, and a 138.4 mm cover screen with a 10:16 aspect ratio when folded, optimizing the user’s content viewing experience.
The Flip8 prioritizes portability, boasting the thinnest and lightest design in the Flip series at just 6.1 mm thick and weighing 180 grams (about 0.4 lbs).
Due to ongoing chip shortages and inflation, prices for these new models have increased by 8% to 13% compared to their predecessors. The Fold8 Ultra starts at 2,577,300 KRW (about 1,816 USD) for the 256GB model, while the Flip8 begins at 1,683,000 KRW (around 1,185 USD). Both models see a price hike of 198,000 KRW (approximately 140 USD) from their previous iterations.