- By Prateek Levi
- Thu, 30 Jul 2026 04:42 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Samsung says its eighth-generation foldable smartphones have received a record-breaking response in India. The newly launched Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 collectively crossed 2.71 lakh pre-orders within just 72 hours of going on sale on July 22.
To put that into perspective, Samsung had taken around 15 days to reach similar pre-order numbers for the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 last year, highlighting how quickly foldable phones are gaining traction in the country.
Interestingly, nearly 45 percent of all pre-orders came from Tier 2 cities and smaller towns. The figures suggest that demand for foldable smartphones is no longer limited to metro cities, with consumers across India increasingly showing interest in premium devices and new form factors.
Encouraged by the response, Samsung expects the latest Galaxy Z lineup to match the pre-order numbers recorded by the Galaxy S26 series, which launched earlier this year.
Commenting on the milestone, JB Park, President and CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia, said the response reflects India's growing appetite for innovative technology that boosts productivity and creativity. He added that the new foldables are manufactured in India and backed by Samsung's Indian R&D teams, while the strong contribution from Tier 2 cities points to a rapidly expanding market for foldable devices.
Galaxy Z Fold8
Samsung has positioned the Galaxy Z Fold8 as a foldable designed for entertainment and productivity. It features a 10:16 cover display that offers a familiar smartphone experience for messaging, browsing and watching short videos. Opening the device reveals a larger 4:3 main display suited for reading, gaming, streaming and multitasking. In landscape mode, the screen is also optimised for reading articles and e-books.
The Fold8 weighs 201g, making it Samsung's lightest Galaxy Z Fold smartphone so far. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset and packs a 4,800mAh battery. Samsung says the device uses a redesigned display structure with Flex Titanium technology, making it thinner while improving durability and reducing the visibility of the display crease over time.
The display supports up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness and comes with Vision Booster and a low-reflection coating for better outdoor visibility.
For photography, the phone houses dual 50-megapixel rear cameras covering wide and ultra-wide shots. Features such as Dual Recording and My FanCam allow users to capture both sides of a scene simultaneously while automatically tracking and reframing subjects for social media-ready videos.
Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is the premium smartphone among all the Galaxy Z Series and is best for those consumers who require a bigger screen as well as more advanced productivity.
The smartphone features an 8-inch display and is only 4.1 mm thick and weighs only 215 gms when unfolded. The device has a 200 megapixels camera that supports HDR full-resolution and a newly introduced 50 megapixels ultra-wide camera. Samsung has also added advanced features like improved Nightography and professional video capabilities including 8K recording, APV codec, and Cine LUT.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy along with a 5000 mAh battery. The device also supports a new dual-path 45W fast charging system and features an expanded graphite cooling solution to maintain performance during intensive workloads and AI-powered tasks.
Galaxy Z Flip8
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip8 focuses on portability and AI-powered convenience. The company says it is the slimmest and lightest Flip model it has launched so far.
The redesigned FlexWindow acts as an AI-first interface, allowing users to access personalised updates through Now Brief, interact with Gemini without opening the phone and perform connected actions using voice commands or the side key.
Camera upgrades include a 50-megapixel primary sensor powered by Samsung's ProVisual Engine for improved portraits and more natural skin tones. Features such as Flex Mode, Camcorder Grip with Zoom Rocker, Super Steady with Horizontal Lock, FlipShot and Mirror View aim to make hands-free shooting and content creation easier.
Galaxy AI Features
Samsung has introduced several AI features specifically designed for foldable devices.
Now Brief provides personalised daily updates, while Now Nudge offers context-based suggestions to help users take action. Gemini Intelligence can handle requests across supported apps and services, and Gemini Notebook brings together notes, files, recordings and images into one workspace with AI-generated summaries and reports.
The company says these AI experiences also work seamlessly with the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 to create a connected ecosystem across devices.
Privacy and Security
Samsung says privacy remains a key focus with the new Galaxy Z series. On-device AI is protected through Samsung Knox, while the Personal Data Engine, Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection and Knox Vault are designed to safeguard user information.
One UI 9 also introduces an AI Assistant Activity dashboard, enabling users to monitor AI-related actions and settings from a single place. New Privacy Alerts are also included to notify users about potential security risks.
Price in India
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra starts at Rs. 1,99,999, while the Galaxy Z Fold8 is priced from Rs. 1,79,999. The Galaxy Z Flip8 starts at Rs. 1,24,999.
Samsung is also offering all three smartphones with a 30-month no-cost EMI option that requires zero down payment.This version is more conversational and reads like a polished tech news article rather than a company press release, while preserving all the key information.