Consumers can now purchase the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 through mobile carriers, retail chains, Samsung Experience Stores and the company’s online store.

The new foldable phones come with six months of Google AI Pro, including 5TB of cloud storage, a package valued at around $120.

Samsung has also released the Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2 across the same 106 markets.

Buyers of the new smartwatches receive 60 days of Strava Premium, valued at $24, along with two months of access to the iFIT fitness platform, worth $20.

According to Samsung, global preorders for the Galaxy Z8 series were 30% higher than for the Galaxy Z7 lineup launched last year.

In Europe, preorders rose 20% in just 11 days following the new products’ unveiling on July 22.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 alone accounted for nearly 40% of all preorders for the new lineup in the region.

India also recorded strong early demand.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Flip8 received 271,000 preorders in their first 72 hours, compared with the 15 days it took the previous Fold7 and Flip7 generation to reach the same milestone.

In South Korea, Samsung’s three new foldable phones attracted 1.44 million preorders within one week.

That surpassed the previous record of 1.38 million orders set by the Galaxy Note10 series during an 11-day preorder period.

Early demand has also been strong in Vietnam.

Viettel Store reported significant consumer interest in both the Galaxy Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra from the beginning of the preorder period, with the Fold8 drawing particular attention for its new design and screen aspect ratio.

“The pace of orders is currently around 50% higher than during the same period last year, showing strong interest in the new product lineup,” a Viettel Store representative said.

The retailer noted, however, that limited supplies during the initial launch period could affect its ability to fully meet market demand.

Samsung said Graphite has emerged as the most popular colour for both the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, while Pink is the bestselling option for the Galaxy Z Flip8.

Preferences differ among younger consumers shopping for colours available exclusively through Samsung’s online store.

Among customers aged 15 to 34, Pistachio is the preferred choice for the Fold8, Green Shadow for the Fold8 Ultra and Mint for the Flip8.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 on July 22 before officially releasing them across participating global markets on August 7.

According to the company, stronger-than-expected preorder results indicate that demand for foldable smartphones continues to grow across multiple markets, particularly Europe, South Korea and India.

Du Lam