Models each pose with the latest Galaxy Z series devices at a Samsung store in Seoul. From left are the Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra and Z Flip8.SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS
The newly released Galaxy Z Fold8, a wider, passport-sized foldable, is winning over young female buyers in a way Samsung's foldables never have before.
Galaxy foldables were once mocked as "ajae" phones, using Korean slang for an older, out-of-touch middle-aged man. But with a redesigned body, the Fold8 appears to be shedding that image, gaining ground among women in their teens through their 30s.
Preorder data from Samsung's official Korean e-commerce site shows customers in that age range made up more than half of all purchases, and the Fold8 was their top pick among the new models.
"The Fold used to be seen as a phone for older men who wanted a bigger screen for work," a Samsung Electronics spokesperson said. "Now, we're seeing that image change with the Fold8 — interest from younger customers, especially women, has grown sharply, and female buyers in their teens through 30s more than doubled from the previous generation."
Combined preorders for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8 and Flip8 hit 1.44 million units over seven days in Korea, a record for any Galaxy lineup and 39 percent higher than the 1.03 million preorders for the Fold7 and Flip7 series. The standard Fold8 alone accounted for 70 percent of that total.
The numbers mark a turnaround for Samsung, which has long struggled to shake Galaxy's image as a phone for older users while the iPhone has long held the opposite image, seen as the phone for young, style-conscious users.
From left, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8 and Flip 8 are displayed at a Samsung store in Seoul.SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS
This year's Gallup Korea annual survey, conducted in May and June with 1,675 respondents, found Samsung's market share climbed to 81 percent, up 9 percentage points from last year, while Apple slipped to 19 percent.
But the more telling number was among women in their 30s: Samsung's share jumped 22 percentage points from last year to 58 percent, overtaking Apple's 42 percent. Among women in their 20s, Apple still leads with 67 percent, but Samsung closed the gap there, too, rising 11 points to 33 percent.
Globally, market tracker Counterpoint Research expects first-year sales of the Galaxy Z8 series to grow by double digits over the Z7 series, and by more than 70 percent over the Z6 series.
Samsung says Japan, a market long dominated by the iPhone, is showing a similar shift. Some Fold8 models have sold out on Samsung's official online store there. In the United States, preorders for the new series rose more than 30 percent from the previous generation, while Europe saw growth of more than 20 percent.
