Overview
- Samsung said buyers in India placed 271,000 preorders for the Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8 within the first 72 hours, with about 45% of orders from tier‑2 cities and smaller markets.
- The company and retailers are applying steep launch incentives to drive those orders, offering up to $1,230 in trade‑in credit or a $200 Samsung credit plus Amazon gift‑card bundles and Best Buy open‑box discounts.
- Early hands‑on testing found the Fold 8’s ‘virtually crease‑free’ screen develops a visible crease after roughly seven days of normal use, despite Samsung’s new Flex Titanium hinge and reinforced layers.
- A resale analysis from Compare and Recycle reports foldables can lose about 70% of retail value in 12 months, highlighting rapid depreciation that could hurt buyer economics and trade‑in math.
- Analysts warn the preorder surge may reflect promotional financing and bundled credits rather than finished sales, so the main questions now are conversion rates, model mix, and whether demand holds after incentives end.