Samsung has told suppliers to build about 2.8 million units of the new Galaxy Z Fold8. That is 40% more than the Fold8 Ultra’s 2 million target, and nearly double the Flip8’s 1.5 million. The numbers come from a supply chain report landing two days before Samsung’s July 22 Unpacked event in London.
The wide screen model is now Samsung’s highest volume foldable order, ahead of the phone wearing the Ultra name. Samsung built its foldable business on the Flip for most of the past six years. Last year’s Fold7 broke that pattern for the first time, and Samsung just bet even more heavily on it before a single Fold8 review exists.
Three Foldables, One Lopsided Order
The figures trace back to a supply chain report citing industry sources, first surfaced by the South Korean outlet ETNews and echoed across the phone press this week. Samsung wants roughly 2.8 million Galaxy Z Fold8 units built, against 2 million for the Fold8 Ultra and 1.5 million for the Flip8.
That works out to about 40% more Wide units ordered than Ultra units, before either phone has shipped a single review sample.
| Model | Reported Production Target | Shape and Position |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Z Fold8 (Wide) | About 2.8 million units | New 4:3 wide screen, entry price tier |
| Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra | About 2 million units | Traditional tall aspect ratio, premium tier |
| Galaxy Z Flip8 | About 1.5 million units | Clamshell, smallest order of the three |
The Ultra name is new too. It now covers the tall, narrow book style Samsung has sold since the Z Fold2. The old Fold badge moves to the wide model instead, a shape that did not exist a year ago.
Qualcomm already made a Galaxy-only variant with higher clock speeds official for the S26 series earlier this year. The same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip is expected to power the Fold8 pair.
The Last Time Fold Beat Flip, It Was a First
For most of the Z series’ run, the Flip carried Samsung’s foldable volume. In previous generations, the Flip regularly accounted for more than 60% of Korean preorders, leaving the taller, pricier Fold as the smaller seller.
That flipped, literally, last July. During Fold7 and Flip7 preorders in South Korea, the Fold took 60% of the combined total. That marked the first time a Fold model had outsold a Flip model since the format launched in 2019.
Samsung’s own US numbers told a similar story. Both phones saw a 25% jump in combined US preorders, with more Fold7 orders than any Z Fold before it.
| Generation | Combined Korea Preorders | Which Model Led |
|---|---|---|
| Fold5 and Flip5 (2023) | 1.02 million | Flip5, by majority |
| Fold6 and Flip6 (2024) | 910,000 | Flip6, by majority |
| Fold7 and Flip7 (2025) | 1.04 million, a record | Fold7, at 60%, a first |
The Fold8 production split extends that swing well past one generation’s preorder mix. Samsung is going further than a repeat. It is ordering suppliers to build close to twice as many Fold8 Wide units as Flip8 units, turning a phone that did not exist a year ago into the volume leader and leaving the Flip, the format’s longtime seller, with the smallest order of the new lineup.
Apple’s September Clock Is Setting Samsung’s Pace
Samsung isn’t chasing an empty category. Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone is widely expected to launch as the iPhone Ultra. It’s tipped to carry a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display, plus an A20 chip. A Touch ID power button replaces Face ID, and two rear cameras round out the setup. Unfolded, it lands in roughly the same 4:3 shape as Samsung’s new Wide model.
Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman has narrowed the launch window to a specific date.
The most likely date for the debut of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and foldable iPhone is Sept. 8, with Sept. 9 as the runner-up.
Gurman wrote that in a newsletter cited by Engadget. That leaves Samsung about six weeks of exclusivity in a shape it did not build from scratch. Huawei already sells a similarly wide foldable, the Pura X Max Wide.
Samsung’s own display division is reportedly supplying the folding panel technology behind Apple’s rival foldable. That means Samsung profits from the format race no matter which brand’s phone wins it.
Apple is treating its entry seriously too. Nikkei Asia has reported that Apple told suppliers to prepare about 10 million foldable iPhones this year, up from an earlier forecast of 7 to 8 million units. IDC expects that device to sell at a steep premium, with an average price near $2,500 and top storage configurations reaching $3,000.
Who Wins and Who Gets Squeezed
The Ultra branding covers Samsung’s oldest foldable shape, the tall, narrow book style buyers have known since the Z Fold2, now sold as the premium tier. That premium positioning already arrives at a steeper price than its predecessor carried, part of the same Unpacked event introducing Samsung’s smart glasses push against Meta.
Samsung still seems confident in the Ultra. It is just betting the Wide format grows faster, at least in this first generation.
The Flip8’s lower order fits a pattern of its own. Flip sales have swung hard before, strong on launch day and softer months later. A smaller production run limits how much unsold inventory Samsung could get stuck holding if that pattern repeats.
The Hardware Backing Samsung’s Wide Bet
Whatever the volume split settles into, the Wide model’s spec sheet is mostly set by rumor days before Samsung confirms it directly at Unpacked.
- Display – a 7.6 inch inner screen paired with a 5.5 inch cover display
- Chipset – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, all but confirmed by Samsung itself
- Battery – 4,800mAh, modest for a phone this size once it unfolds
- Cameras – a dual rear camera setup, lighter than the triple arrays on Samsung’s tall Folds
Samsung and outside reporting split cleanly into what is locked in and what is still a rumor.
- Confirmed – the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, and Samsung’s July 22 Unpacked date in London
- Unconfirmed – final pricing beyond early leaks, exact camera resolution, and whether these supplier orders survive contact with real demand
The rumored specs alone don’t explain the production gap. A bigger screen and a lighter camera setup don’t usually justify a 40% bigger order than a step-up model. This is a bet on shape.
The Risk in Betting Ahead of Reviews
Every outlet covering these numbers carries the same caveat. Production targets are supplier orders, a forecast companies can miss in either direction. The 2.8 million figure signals confidence going in. It guarantees nothing about how the Fold8 lineup actually performs once pricing and reviews land on July 22.
The bet also lands in a market already breaking records without a wide format phone in the mix. A record quarter for global foldable shipments arrived in the third quarter of 2025, up 14% year over year. Samsung’s Fold7 drove most of that gain, according to Counterpoint Research.
Samsung is now trying to stretch that momentum into a shape nobody, including Samsung, has sold at this scale before.
Samsung confirms the real numbers, and the real prices, at Unpacked in London on July 22. Apple’s version of the same wide screen bet follows in September. Both companies will then find out if they guessed right about the same new shape at almost the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Difference Between the Galaxy Z Fold8 and the Fold8 Ultra?
The Fold8, sold as the Wide model, uses a new 4:3 aspect ratio that opens closer to a small tablet than past Folds. The Fold8 Ultra keeps the traditional tall, narrow shape Samsung has used since the Z Fold2, and rumors point to a crease-free display, a bigger battery, and a higher price than the Wide model carries.
How Much Will the Galaxy Z Fold8 Wide Cost?
Leaked pricing puts the Galaxy Z Fold8 Wide at $1,899 for its 256GB storage tier, with estimated trade-in credits reportedly worth up to $1,200 for buyers upgrading an older device. Samsung has not confirmed pricing ahead of Unpacked.
How Does the Fold8 Wide Compare to Apple’s iPhone Ultra on Price?
Samsung’s leaked $1,899 starting price undercuts where analysts expect Apple to land. IDC forecasts an average selling price near $2,500 for Apple’s foldable iPhone, with higher storage tiers reportedly reaching $3,000, once it arrives in September.
Has Samsung Confirmed These Production Numbers?
No. The figures trace back to a supply chain report citing industry sources rather than an official Samsung statement. Samsung has adjusted foldable production plans after launch before, scaling orders up or down once real store demand comes in.
When Will the Galaxy Z Fold8 Actually Go on Sale?
Samsung hasn’t set a retail date yet, but last year offers a rough guide. Fold7 and Flip7 preorders closed in South Korea on July 28, 2025, with both phones reaching store shelves the next day, July 29.
