Ricenne Wonyi holds the Galaxy Z Fold8. Photo provided to aid understanding of the article. Captured from Ricenne’s Instagram
Samsung Electronics’ (005930.KS) new foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold8, is showing early signs of strong demand in global markets. In Japan in particular, where Apple’s iPhone accounts for more than half the smartphone market, some models have sold out quickly, drawing notable interest from the outset. Analysts expect Samsung to strengthen its position in the foldable market as the phone sheds the older-male image long associated with foldables and attracts younger consumers and women.
Global pre-orders for the Galaxy Z8 series rose more than 30% from the previous Z7 series, according to Counterpoint Research on the 9th. The firm projected that first-year shipments would grow by double digits over the Z7 series and by more than 70% compared with the Z6 series.
Demand was strong at home from the pre-sale stage as well. In Samsung’s pre-sale of the Galaxy Z8 series, held from July 28 to Aug. 3, combined sales of three models — the Fold8, Fold8 Ultra and Flip8 — surpassed 1.44 million units. Demand ran higher than expected, exceeding the volume Samsung had prepared.
The base model, the Fold8, stood out in this year’s lineup. The Fold8 moves away from the elongated screen of earlier foldables to a wider 4:3 aspect ratio, focusing on improving everyday tasks such as web browsing and multitasking. The Fold8 accounted for 70% of total domestic pre-sales.
The customer base also broadened. With a design reminiscent of a passport, the Fold8 drew interest from consumers in their teens and 30s and from women. Half of buyers on Samsung.com were in their teens and 30s, and among buyers of the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra, the share of women in their teens and 30s roughly doubled from the previous model.
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The passport-sized Galaxy Z Fold8. Yonhap News
The response continued overseas. Counterpoint Research said pre-sales of the Galaxy Z8 series rose more than 20% from the Z7 series in Europe, and 30% in the United States even counting only the Fold model.
The results in Japan, often called an Apple stronghold, are especially striking. Samsung officially launched the Galaxy Z Fold8, Fold8 Ultra and Flip8 in Japan on the 7th. Sales began through Samsung’s official online store in Japan and major carriers including NTT Docomo, KDDI (au), SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile.
Japan is a market where Apple’s influence is unusually strong. According to Japanese research firm MM Research Institute, Apple held a 51.6% share of Japan’s smartphone shipments in fiscal 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026), a majority for the fourth consecutive year. Samsung ranked third, behind Apple and Google.
The picture is different in the foldable market, however. With Apple yet to release a foldable phone, Samsung has taken an early lead. In fiscal 2023 (April 2023 to March 2024), Samsung held a 60.4% share of Japan’s foldable phone market.
At Samsung’s official online store in Japan, the 256GB Fold8 has sold out in some colors. Japan’s foldable market itself is also expected to grow. Foldable shipments in Japan are projected to rise about eightfold, from 225,000 units in fiscal 2023 to 1.81 million units in fiscal 2028 (April 2028 to March 2029).
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