Madiha Yaqoob
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8, Fold8 Ultra, and Flip8 collectively sold 1.44 million units during a seven day pre-order window in South Korea, making it the best-selling pre-order run in the company’s history, according to figures reported by Forbes and 9to5Google. The result breaks a record previously held by the Galaxy Note 10 since 2019.
How the Numbers Break Down
Of the 1.44 million pre-orders placed between July 28 and August 3, roughly 1.01 million, about 70 percent, were for the Z Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra combined, while the Z Flip8 accounted for the remaining 430,000 orders, close to 30 percent. The previous pre-order record holder was Samsung’s own Galaxy S26 series, which had logged 1.35 million pre-orders, meaning the new foldables came in roughly 90,000 units ahead, about 7 percent higher.
Samsung Is Racing to Keep Up With Demand
The scale of demand has reportedly pushed Samsung to add production. Forbes reported that the company is rushing out an additional 1 million Galaxy Z Fold8 units on top of an original production plan of 2.8 million, in what appears to be a deliberate push to build market share ahead of Apple’s rumored entry into the foldable category. Apple has not confirmed a foldable iPhone launch date, but industry reporting has pointed to a possible 2026 release, and Samsung’s early manufacturing push suggests the company wants to be well stocked before that competition arrives.
Why the Foldable Category Is Heating Up
Foldable phones have historically been a niche, premium category, but Samsung’s latest results suggest that is changing. Record pre-orders across consecutive flagship generations point to growing consumer comfort with the form factor, helped by thinner hinges, better software multitasking, and pricing that has crept closer to standard flagship phones. Samsung’s push into 3D memory and other AI-focused hardware, showcased at recent company events, also feeds into these devices, since on-device AI features are becoming a bigger part of how phone makers differentiate flagship models.
Why It Matters for Tech Buyers and Resellers
For tech professionals and resellers in markets like Pakistan, where grey market imports of Samsung flagships are common, a genuine supply crunch in South Korea and other core markets could mean tighter availability and higher import costs in the months ahead. It also signals that Samsung sees enough demand to justify a mid-cycle production increase rather than waiting to see how sales settle, a sign of real confidence in the category heading into the second half of 2026.
