Samsung shook up its foldable phone range this year, introducing the smaller Galaxy Z Fold 8 form factor and bestowing the ‘Ultra’ label on its larger book-like handset. So far, it looks like the segmented approach has paid off, with Samsung claiming “double-digit growth” for foldable pre-orders compared to last year.
After the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 reviewed strongly, it arrived on Australian shelves last week, alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. According to Nathan Rigger, Head of Product, Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics Australia, the launch has seen a sizable uptake.
“This year’s Galaxy Z Fold range has grown by nearly 50% versus the previous generation,” Rigger said. “In fact, around 6 in 10 Galaxy Z Series purchases have come from customers upgrading from traditional candybar form factors, highlighting the growing appeal of foldables among a broader range of consumers.”
As first reported by EFTM‘s Trevor Long, Australian sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Fold 8 phones are neck-and-neck. Of the two, the smaller Fold 8 is reportedly outselling the Ultra by the slimmest of margins.
“Galaxy Z Fold 8 has been a standout performer, accounting for 51% of the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra mix with customer demand exceeding our expectations both in Australia and globally,” Rigger said.
This ratio might even come as a surprise to Samsung. Before launch, Rigger told GadgetGuy that the company expected the Z Fold 8 Ultra to “still be the number one selling foldable device”, while the Fold 8’s role was seen as “opening up appeal of foldable (phones) to a broader audience”.
On the future of foldable phones
Part of the equation might be price. Positioned as more of a content consumption phone, the $2,699 Z Fold 8 has a 7.6-inch inner display that minimises the unused space of widescreen media, while 4:3 content takes up the whole screen. Meanwhile, the newly rebranded $2,999 Z Fold 8 Ultra brandishes a bigger 8-inch main screen alongside a more powerful camera stack, including a telephoto lens.
According to Rigger, Galaxy S and Galaxy Z users mainly use the wide and ultra-wide cameras, hence the decision to include only two rear cameras on the Z Fold 8. By comparison, the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s camera array is almost on par with Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra handset.
“We could have added another camera, but that may have meant that the device may have had to be bigger, or that the battery would have been smaller,” Rigger said. “So what we’ve tried to do is find the right balance.”
One major feature Samsung’s new foldables didn’t inherit from the S26 Ultra, however, was the brand’s new privacy display technology. Built into the screen, the tech prevents onlookers from peeking over your shoulder to snoop on personal information or confidential work files.
Although 2026’s Galaxy Z phones don’t have the feature, it hasn’t been ruled out for future models.
“It comes down to an overall balance in terms of what is that experience that we’re trying to deliver,” Rigger said. “So, it could be possible that [the Galaxy Z range] had (a) privacy display, but that might have meant that we had to have compromised on portability or other areas or elements of the device.”
Seeing the launch sales of the Galaxy Z range will likely be music to the ears of the Samsung team, who see a lot of repeat buyers across its premium range.
“It’s funny because the more people are willing to pay for premium devices, the more frequently they’re willing to upgrade,” said Eric Chou, Vice President of Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics Australia. “And so foldable being our most premium, we actually have a much shorter life cycle compared to the norm.”
“Once you have that experience with a foldable… you just want to get the next best thing. So that naturally shortens the upgrade cycle.”
It also sets up a fascinating showdown with Apple, with the company expected to debut its foldable iPhone in some form next month.
The post Aussies go foldable as Galaxy Z Fold 8 narrowly outsells Ultra appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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