Surprise surprise: One Galaxy foldable is beating preorder expectations

Samsung launched three new foldable phones last week, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 arguably stole the show. This device differs from the Z Fold 8 Ultra by offering a compact design, featuring a 10:16 cover screen and a 4:3 folding display. Now, it looks like the device is a tentative hit with early adopters.

Korean tipster Lanzuk (@yeux1122) has claimed that Galaxy Z Fold 8 preorders have exceeded Samsung’s expectations. They added that production volume had initially increased by 40% compared to the Z Fold 8 Ultra, but that Samsung was still facing stock issues. Furthermore, it sounds like offline sales channels might only have stock by early to mid September, while carriers might be backed up until mid-August. The leaker didn’t mention specific markets, but we’re guessing this report applies to Korea.

Meanwhile, veteran leaker Ice Universe has claimed that Galaxy Z Fold 8 preorders have “far exceeded” Z Fold 8 Ultra orders in Korea and other markets.

We can understand why people might gravitate towards the new foldable phone, though. Samsung’s compact device has a 4:3 folding screen, making it ideal for viewing videos compared to other Fold devices. This means smaller black bars when viewing 16:9 content and no black bars when viewing 4:3 videos. The squat design also makes it more compact than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

In saying so, the $1,899 price tag might understandably put off some people. This price might be particularly hard to swallow given the Fold 8’s missing telephoto camera and dust resistance.