Samsung’s Smaller Fold8 Is Matching Its Ultra Big Brother, Almost Sale for Sale

Samsung is rightly celebrating the hugely successful launch of the latest foldable series with records set and a surprising device split between the all-new Fold8 and its premium big-brother the Fold8 Ultra.

Last week, before the new Galaxy Z Series went on sale, Samsung reported they were on track to achieve the most successful pre-order result for their foldable series to date thanks to a positive response to the all-new form factor of the passport-sized Fold8.

Today, with these stunning new smartphones on sale, EFTM can reveal the scale of that success, with Nathan Rigger, Head of Product, Mobile eXperience at Samsung Electronics Australia putting some detail into that success.

Rigger tells EFTM “Overall, the 2026 Galaxy Z Series has delivered strong double-digit growth and set a record for Foldable pre-orders in Australia. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Z Fold8 have been instrumental in driving this success, contributing to a nearly 50% increase in Z Fold sales compared to the Z Fold7, which previously set a record for Galaxy Z Fold sales.”

After two years of strong growth, with the exceptional Fold7 redesign last year and this new lineup in 2026, the company is pushing the foldable market toward their previously stated aspirations of seeing the foldable form factor become the biggest seller in their lineup. With foldables now available from a wide range of brands and the anticipation for Apple to join the market later this year, all eyes are on folding glass screens.

What’s even more fascinating is which phones people are choosing. Nathan Rigger tells us “The sales split between the Z Fold8 Ultra and  Z Fold8 is nearly even, at around 49% – 51% respectively.”

A huge result for the all-new Fold8, he went on to say the demand has led to some stock delays in market “While the Fold8 Ultra has performed exceptionally well, the rapid adoption of the Galaxy Z Fold8 has exceeded expectations both in Australia and globally. Due to the unprecedented demand for  Z Fold8, some customers are experiencing longer than usual delivery times, but we are working hard to replenish stock as quickly as possible.”

Reports suggest Samsung is producing an extra million Galaxy Z Fold8 Units to keep up with the global demand which appears to match what’s happening here in Australia.

As for that idea that people will ditch their traditional screens for a foldable? This year’s sales are not just from people upgrading. “Notably, around 6 out of 10 customers who purchased one of the new Galaxy Z Series models have come from non-foldable devices, highlighting the growing interest and expansion in the Foldable category,” said Rigger.

With that almost 50/50 split between Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra, it makes sense that the new smaller size has focussed many more eyes on the category, Samsung research here in Australia shows that 84% of people say the size, portability and “pocketability” of a phone are among the most important factors when choosing a smartphone.

I’d suggest that Fold8 will be at high production levels for some time at the Samsung factory given the attention on the Foldable smartphone market in 2026.