Samsung fans seem sick of old, familiar phones and are diving head first into the unknown.
The fresh Galaxy Z Fold 8 – the wider-than-taller foldable that looks like a passport when folded – is the big star.
And, apparently, the premium (both in terms of hardware and sheer price) Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (the "traditional" square-ish successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7) is lagging behind in terms of pre-orders compared to the cheaper and smaller Z Fold 8.
It's time for hunches
Two very different phones, at least on the outside. | Image by PhoneArena
Ice Universe is one of the best-known tipsters out there. His X account is followed by almost 600 thousand users (which, for a tech-related channel, is nothing short of truly impressive) and the information they've been sharing with us is virtually (almost) always correct.
Right now, however, Ice Universe isn't posting a concrete, bulletproof leak but rather has a "hunch":
I have a hunch that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will become the best-selling folding item in Samsung's history. At present, according to feedback from South Korea and other places, its pre-order volume has far exceeded the Fold 8 Ultra.
So, per the leakster's hunch, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will go on to become "the best-selling folding item in Samsung's history".
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Ice Universe isn't sharing any precise numbers right now, but the pre-order volume for the passport-like Z Fold 8 has "far exceeded" that of the Z Fold 8 Ultra in South Korea.
Will Apple be able to replicate this success with the iPhone Ultra?
Users will have to wait weeks more
Among the comments below the aforementioned X post, a delay for the Z Fold 8 is already discussed.
Some users who are apparently in South Korea themselves report that Samsung's pre-order webpage crashed when the phone offers went live. Shortly after, the availability dates got pushed back from August 4 to August 28.
Why the craze?
Not to belittle the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 radiates that aura of novelty and tech revolution. After numerous years of the same (in aspect ratio terms) square-ish book-style foldables, fans seem amazed by the company's first wider foldable.
The Z Fold 8, when unfolded, resembles a small tablet and everyone knows how much more suitable for video rectangular screens are (compared with square ones).
Also, while the Z Fold 8 ($1,900) is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, it's still $200 cheaper than the Z Fold 8 Ultra ($2,100).
What am I losing with the non-Ultra Z Fold 8?
Not that much, frankly speaking. The Ultra has a slightly larger 8-inch inner screen (versus a 7.6-inch one on the Z Fold 8), a bigger 6.5-inch top display (versus a 5.4-inch one on the Z Fold 8) and a square-like aspect ratio, of course.
A big difference is found in the camera department – the Z Fold 8 Ultra comes with a triple rear camera setup that includes a dedicated telephoto (love that!), while the Z Fold 8 has a dual setup (wide and ultra-wide snappers only).
The Ultra also gets a 5,000 mAh battery, while the non-Ultra is almost there with a 4,800 mAh cell.
All in all, not that big of a difference, but people in South Korea – if Ice Universe's claims turn out to be true – are mad about the new form factor.
And in case you need some more Samsung-related news:
Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.
Sebastian is one of PhoneArena’s senior opinionators. A veteran news writer with almost 20 years of experience in media and technology, he not only covers all the hot news about Galaxies and iPhones, but often provides hot takes on industry trends. He’s fascinated with camera-focused flagships from the likes of Oppo and Vivo, as well as foldable phones.
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