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According to industry sources on the 10th, Samsung Electronics has decided to increase production of the Galaxy Z Fold8 by an additional 1 million units this year and has placed orders for related components with its partners.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 is Samsung Electronics' first 'wide fold' with a 4:3 aspect ratio, unlike previous foldable phones with longer vertical screens. The cover screen is 5.5 inches and the unfolded main screen is 7.6 inches of foldable organic light-emitting diode (OLED).
Previously, Samsung Electronics expected the wide fold to be a hit and allocated the largest number of 2.8 million units annually for the Galaxy Z Fold8 among the Galaxy Z8 series. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is estimated at 2 million units and the Flip8 at 1.5 million units.
With the decision to increase production of the Galaxy Z Fold8 by an additional 1 million units, the total production scale of the Galaxy Z Fold8 is expected to reach over 3 million units. Considering that a new Galaxy Z series usually sells between 5.5 million and 6 million units annually, the proportion of the Galaxy Z Fold8 is expected to exceed 60%.
According to Samsung Electronics, the Galaxy Z8 series recorded a record-breaking 1.44 million pre-orders from July 28th to August 4th, the highest number among all previous Samsung smartphone pre-orders. Of these, 70% were concentrated on the Galaxy Z Fold8.
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Previously, Samsung Electronics increased production of the Galaxy Z Fold7 series for the first time last year as a foldable phone. As both the Fold7 and Fold8 series have exceeded their initial production plans, it is interpreted that foldable phones are entering a trend.
It was rare for demand for Samsung Electronics' foldable phone series to exceed the initially established production plan.
In September this year, Apple is also expected to launch its first foldable iPhone with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The competition for market leadership in foldable phones will intensify between Samsung Electronics and Apple, centered on 'wide folds'.
An industry insider said, "Since memory semiconductor prices have risen this year, initial demand may have concentrated on pre-orders with the benefit of 'double storage (256GB price for 512GB model)'." He also said, "Because the Galaxy Z Fold8 received a good response, Samsung's foldable phone demand is expected to increase compared to last year and more will be produced."
▶ Original source: https://www.etnews.com/20260810000238
