{"id":858428,"date":"2026-08-15T00:56:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T00:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/858428\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T00:56:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T00:56:12","slug":"samsung-galaxy-z-fold8-wins-over-iphone-users-with-thin-passport-style-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/858428\/","title":{"rendered":"Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 wins over iPhone users with thin passport-style design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Galaxy finally for the win \u2014 Samsung Electronics\u2019 Galaxy Z Fold8 is gaining traction among younger consumers, namely\u00a0women who have typically\u00a0favored Apple\u2019s iPhone, as the thinner, lighter “passport-size” foldable wins new fans.<\/p>\n

Domestic preorders reached 1.44 million units for\u00a0Z Fold8, the highest ever for a Galaxy device, while cumulative global sales have surpassed 5 million units. According to\u00a0Samsung.com, half of preorder customers were in their teens, 20s, or 30s, and within that group, purchases by women more than doubled compared to the previous model.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsidering that 67 percent of Korean women in their 20s use iPhones, the increase in purchases among women in their teens through 30s is significant,\u201d an industry source said.<\/p>\n

The shift was visible Tuesday at Samsung Store Hongdae in Mapo District, western Seoul. Three teenage girls headed straight for the Galaxy Z Fold8 as soon as they entered the store, then began folding and unfolding the device and taking selfies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is it!\u201d one of them exclaimed. The group lingered around the device, saying they \u201creally wanted one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to switch to an iPhone this time, but after actually trying the Z Fold8, I changed my mind because it\u2019s light and the photos have a nice aesthetic,\u201d\u00a022-year-old Jeong Seo-hee said.<\/p>\n

The new hip\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some iPhone users are already making the switch. Social media posts about moves to the Fold8 have included comments such as \u201cThe iPhone feels like a dad phone now\u201d and \u201cA 10-year Apple devotee is saying goodbye through tears.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI fell in love with it as soon as I saw it in person because it was so pretty,\u201d\u00a0said 26-year-old\u00a0Jeong Da-um, who switched from an iPhone 17 Pro to the Fold8 and posted an unboxing review on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Jeong Seo-hee, 22, takes a selfie with the newly released Galaxy Z Fold8 at Samsung Store Hongdae in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Aug. 11.
\n LEE YOUNG-KEUN\n <\/p>\n

Samsung\u2019s foldable is also drawing attention in Japan, long considered an Apple stronghold. In a market where iPhones account for more than half of smartphone use, some Fold8 models temporarily sold out after their Aug. 7 launch. Reservations to try the device at Samsung\u2019s flagship store in Harajuku, Tokyo, also filled up.<\/p>\n

\u201cGalaxy is still a minor player in Japan, but there is a growing perception that Samsung has an advantage over Apple when it comes to foldables,\u201d IT engineer Leo Yasumura said in a video interview.<\/p>\n

Love at first sight<\/p>\n

Consumers often become attracted to a product first and look for reasons to justify that attraction afterward. Smartphones appear to be no different.<\/p>\n

When 20 women in their teens through 30s at Samsung Store Hongdae were asked about their first impression of the Fold8, most responded with words such as \u201ccute,\u201d \u201cthin,\u201d \u201cpretty\u201d and \u201cinteresting.\u201d Performance and specifications came later.<\/p>\n

The new form factor \u2014 the physical size, shape and design layout of a piece of hardware \u2014 also gives the device a conspicuous presence. At 201 grams, the Fold8 is the lightest foldable Samsung has ever made.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n An iPhone user compares the weight of their phone with that of the Galaxy Z Fold8 at Samsung Store Hongdae in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Aug. 11.
\n LEE YOUNG-KEUN\n <\/p>\n

When a 28-year-old office worker surnamed Cho took out a Fold8 at a cafe, an employee asked, \u201cIs that the new one that just came out?\u201d Cho said the phone also drew attention from people around the table when unfolded at a company dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like dating \u2014 you have to like it first before you start paying attention to the specs,\u201d Cho said. \u201cI can\u2019t remember the last time I owned a smartphone that attracted this much attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the Fold8, Samsung Electronics has finally cracked the “desirable” code that it has yearned for years, according to Kim Dae-jong, a professor of business administration at Sejong University.<\/p>\n

\u201cStimulating the feeling of \u2018I want that\u2019 is the starting point of sales, and that has been an area where Samsung Electronics has faced difficulties,\u201d Prof. Kim said. \u201cThis time, by becoming a first mover with a new form factor, it has appealed to consumers with a strong desire to differentiate themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lasting love<\/p>\n

But the excitement of owning something \u201chip\u201d can fade quickly. The real test is whether the device can move beyond catching attention at first glance and become part of users\u2019 daily lives in a way that improves their overall experience.<\/p>\n

That is why Lee Il-hwan, executive vice president and head of the design team at Samsung Electronics\u2019 Mobile eXperience business, has emphasized designing not only the physical product but \u201cevery moment the user experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Customers examine Samsung Electronics\u2019 new Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8 and Flip8 foldable smartphones at Samsung Gangnam in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 7, their official release date.
\n NEWS1\n <\/p>\n

The Fold8\u2019s design was inspired by a passport. Samsung focused on making a device that could comfortably fit in one hand like a passport while offering a large display once unfolded. Earlier foldables often prompted the question of whether there was any real need to fold a smartphone. The Fold8, however, has been praised for giving the device distinct value when both folded and unfolded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Fold8 is a form factor that maximizes the content-consumption experience for YouTube, webtoons, e-books and other media in line with changes in global lifestyles,\u201d said Kim Duk-jin, head of the IT Communication Research Institute.<\/p>\n

13 years in the making<\/p>\n

The design did not emerge overnight. At CES in 2013, Samsung Electronics presented a vision for a 4:3 smartphone that could fold and unfold like a wallet or passport. Technical limitations at the time, however, made such devices too thick and heavy.<\/p>\n

Technology ultimately turned the long-envisioned \u201cpassport phone\u201d into reality 13 years later. Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display applied a titanium alloy film about 20 times stronger than the previous material to the Fold8, reducing the display\u2019s thickness by 12 percent.<\/p>\n

The companies also developed a new reinforced titanium plate with smaller micro-holes to provide denser support around the folding area. The changes significantly reduced the visible crease, one of the longstanding weaknesses of foldable smartphones.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n A visitor tries out the Galaxy Z Fold8 at Samsung Gangnam in Seoul’s Seocho District on July 23.
\n YONHAP\n <\/p>\n

One major variable is Apple\u2019s expected entry into the foldable market. Apple plans to release a 4:3 foldable smartphone called the \u201ciPhone Ultra\u201d in September. Competition over form factors is expected to intensify as Apple enters the passport-style foldable market that Samsung has moved into first.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe welcome it, because more companies will enter a mature market,\u201d Samsung Electronics Device eXperience head Roh Tae-moon said.<\/p>\n

Form-factor innovations tend to shape the market for extended periods once established, meaning the real competition will begin after the initial novelty fades. Samsung\u2019s next challenge is to turn first-glance appeal into lasting satisfaction with the user experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis new product has achieved something by delivering both design and performance,\u201d said Lee Seong-yeob, a professor at Korea University\u2019s Graduate School of Management of Technology.\u00a0\u201cBut Samsung will need to maintain its price competitiveness and strengthen its AI ecosystem if it wants to retain the top position in the foldable market.\u201d<\/p>\n

LEE YOUNG-KEUN [kim.hayoon1@joongang.co.kr]<\/p>\n

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Galaxy finally for the win \u2014 Samsung Electronics\u2019 Galaxy Z Fold8 is gaining traction among younger consumers, namely\u00a0women…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":858429,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,48,61],"class_list":["post-858428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}