Samsung record: Galaxy Fold8 leaves Galaxy S series behind

The Samsung Galaxy Fold8 and Galaxy Fold8 Ultra foldable smartphones have demonstrated outstanding commercial success, securing 1.44 million pre-orders in South Korea. For the first time in the company’s history, the foldable lineup has surpassed the flagship Galaxy S series in popularity, a milestone experts are calling a historic achievement for the brand.

The reason for the excitement

According to Korean publication Chosun, the primary driver of this success was the base Galaxy Fold8 model, which accounted for approximately 70% of total requests, totaling about 1 million units. The premium Galaxy Fold8 Ultra gathered 440,000 pre-orders.

The previous record holders were the Galaxy S26 series with 1.35 million pre-orders, followed by the Galaxy S25 (1.3 million) and the legendary Galaxy Note10 series (1.38 million). High demand has already led to the depletion of initial stock in Korea and several international markets.

New features and design

A key highlight of the Galaxy Fold8 is its transition to a wider body format. The internal display now features a 4:3 aspect ratio, significantly enhancing the user experience compared to previous generations. Samsung has focused production on this model, ordering 2.8 million display panels for the standard Fold8, which is 40% more than the planned production volume for the Ultra version.

Release date and pricing

Pre-orders in South Korea ran from July 28 to August 3. Early customer fulfillment began on August 4, with the official sales launch scheduled for August 7. According to analyst forecasts, total sales for the first global batch could exceed the 2 million unit mark.

The successful launch of the Galaxy Fold8 indicates that foldable smartphones are shifting from a niche segment to the mass market. If strong global demand continues, this new lineup could become one of the most successful in Samsung’s history. Based on sales statistics, the base model appears to be the optimal choice for mass-market users, while the Ultra is geared toward tech enthusiasts and power users.