Quick Summary
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and 8 Ultra launched this week, with the Korean electronics giant claiming a 70% uptick compared to last year's Z Fold 7 pre-orders across its trio of Fold and Flip products for 2026.
Over 40% of those orders were for the new, wider and shorter Galaxy Z Fold 8 model, showing that the new format has instantly become the more popular option – and a likely glimpse of where this foldables market is headed.
Since Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked summer showcase back in July, I've been using the brand's latest folding phones – namely the all-new Z Fold 8, which has made any other phone now feel too small for me.
However, now that the trio of new foldables are on sale – those being the Galaxy Z Flip 8, Fold 8, and Fold 8 Ultra – Samsung has released a bit of pat-itself-on-the-back information about just how well its latest line-up has been performing.
The Korean electronics giant says its pre-orders were up 70% year-on-year, compared to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7 launch. While I really loved that phone, clearly people have been waiting for the newer style – and the Z Fold 8 is the winner.
Indeed, of all the pre-orders – which continue through until the end of today (Thursday 6 August), with £100 off if you use PayPal – it's the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that's racked up 40% of that total (in the European market), affirming that it's the most popular format out of the lot.
I can certainly see why, having compared it to the Ultra model, which is still a technological marvel – but it just feels outsmarted by this new and more content-forward format. My review of the Ultra will be live in the coming days.
So is this a turning point? Are foldables about to become the norm? Well, I doubt that's the case just yet, given the enormous asking prices of such devices. The Ultra is pricier than its equivalent predecessor, too.
That said, this year's pre-orders totalled more than 17% greater volume than any foldable year prior – and Samsung has been going at this for seven years now. So the interest is clearly higher.
I think the ongoing sales will continue to be greater than usual, too, especially when people see the Z Fold 8 in other people's hands and get a bit of touch-and-try time. That's important for a new format, in order to really 'get it'.
Let's also not forget that next month it's widely expected that Apple will reveal an iPhone Ultra – or a product of similar name – complete with foldable trickery, in the very same size and format as Samsung's newest.
With an iOS device in the market, that's only going to increase the overall growth. Who knows, it may even help massage yet more interest in the Android side, too, which Samsung is the only phone-maker currently poised to benefit.
Come 2027, I suspect we'll be seeing a variety of new releases and prototypes in a new physical format and aspect ratio, trying to grab a piece of this pie. Foldables are certainly growing in market share, but it's still only a drop in the ocean at this stage.
