Galaxy Z Fold 8 sets all-time pre-order record with 1.44 million units — one every 26 seconds

Im Seong-taek, Samsung Electronics' Korea president and executive vice president, congratulates the first customer at an event held at Samsung Gangnam. [Samsung Electronics]

Samsung Electronics has scored a record-breaking pre-order run for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, moving roughly 140 units per minute during the reservation period — the highest pre-order total in the entire Galaxy lineup's history.

South Korea's three major carriers are now racing to sign up customers, with pre-order activations beginning Tuesday and the official retail launch set for Friday.

According to Samsung Electronics, domestic pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8 totaled 1.44 million units over the seven-day window from July 28 to Monday.

That figure sets an all-time pre-order record for the Galaxy series. It surpasses last year's combined Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 tally of 1.04 million units over seven days, and eclipses the previous Galaxy smartphone record of 1.38 million units set by the Galaxy Note 10 over 11 days in 2019. With the result, the Galaxy Z series has rewritten the record books after seven years, ushering in what Samsung is calling the foldable 2.0 era.

A Samsung Electronics model introduces the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8, which set an all-time pre-order sales record for the Galaxy smartphone lineup. [Samsung Electronics]

The Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8 on display at Samsung Gangnam. [Samsung Electronics]

The standout driver of the record was the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which arrived in an entirely new form factor and accounted for a commanding 70 percent of pre-order sales. The strong result signals that the device — long associated with a niche, older male demographic — is broadening its appeal.

Among customers who pre-ordered through Samsung.com, those in their teens through 30s made up half of all buyers. The Galaxy Z Fold 8, optimized for immersive content such as short-form video, webtoons, gaming and e-books, led the charge, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — tuned for large-screen multitasking — and the design-focused Galaxy Z Flip 8 also drew strong interest.

The share of female buyers rose sharply as well. The number of women in their teens through 30s who purchased the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra or Fold 8 through Samsung.com more than doubled compared with the previous Galaxy Z Fold 7. While the Fold 7 skewed heavily toward male buyers, the Fold 8 lineup has secured a significantly broader female customer base.

Pre-order incentives also contributed to the strong showing. Against a backdrop of chip-driven inflation, Samsung offered globally lowest-level launch pricing alongside double-storage benefits and subscription program perks that helped fuel domestic pre-order demand.

Among the specific incentives: customers who bought the 256GB model during the pre-order period received a free upgrade to 512GB, and the New Galaxy AI Subscription Club guaranteed a residual value of up to 50 percent of the 512GB model's base price upon device return after one year — a combination that helped sustain early momentum.

A model introduces the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8 at an SK Telecom store. [SK Telecom]

With pre-order activations beginning Tuesday and the official launch on Friday, South Korea's three major carriers are moving aggressively to lock in customers for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8.

SK Telecom is extending its promotional benefits through the end of this month. Customers who sign up for a Netflix plan and link their account on a Galaxy Z foldable device by Aug. 31 will receive 10,000 won ($7) in Naver Pay points.

Additional prizes include a three-night, four-day VIP trip to Jeju Island — the setting of the hit drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" — for five winners of up to four family members each; beauty salon vouchers and photo shoot packages worth 1 million won for 50 winners, inspired by the makeover concept of the reality show "Never Been in a Relationship but Want to Date 2"; and 30,000-won Baemin gift certificates for 1,000 winners to enjoy delivery food while watching the drama "Dakgangjeong."

A model introduces the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8 at a KT Corp store. [KT Corp]

KT Corp has launched its "Choice Double" plan, which bundles OTT and video streaming services with device benefits.

The plan's options include YouTube Premium plus Netflix; YouTube Premium Lite with discounted pricing on Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Watch; and discounts on secondary devices — a second phone, wearables — as well as home appliances such as TVs and vacuum cleaners. Customers who also apply the KT installment-plus KB Kookmin Card and KT Family Satisfaction installment Shinhan Card double discount through the end of this month can receive 1.272 million won in device fee discounts over 24 months with a monthly card spend of 700,000 won. A cashback benefit of up to 150,000 won is also available.

A model introduces the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8 at an LG Uplus store. [LG Uplus]

LG Uplus is offering customers on its Plus Plan (115,000 won per month) or higher a full discount on Google AI Premium 400GB — which includes Gemini and cloud storage — as well as a full waiver of the trade-in pass fee.

Customers on the Plus Plan 105 tier can receive Google One 200GB storage and a full discount on the trade-in pass fee. Both benefits are available through Oct. 31. Those who choose the Google One plus premium trade-in pass option can use YouTube Premium Lite free for six months. Galaxy Z Fold 8 subscribers can also access Disney+ Standard and lifestyle benefits through the Yudok service for three months.

ko@heraldcorp.com