Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 sold more than 20% better in South Korea in the week after Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, started shipping. The jump, reported by The Korea Herald and picked up by GSMArena on 3 November, is the clearest sign yet that Samsung’s foldable is holding its own against Apple’s entry into the category.
The Duo began shipping in late October, a little over two months after Samsung unveiled the Fold8 in August 2026. In the week that followed, Fold8 sales in Samsung’s home market rose by more than a fifth week on week. The Duo’s unveiling in September had already lifted Fold8 sales by around 10% that month.
The sales picture beyond Korea
The Korean jump is not an isolated figure. In Europe, the Galaxy Z Fold8 and the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra together sold 45% more than the Galaxy Z Fold7 did over the same period, according to the same report. Samsung has also extended its AI Subscription Club offer into November, and its End of the Year Fiesta promotion runs until 31 December, with a 50% buy-back plan over one year and a KRW 100,000 (about $75) bonus for trade-ins through Mintit ATMs.
A word of caution on the cause
The timing lines up, but the Duo alone may not explain the whole jump. Korean carriers raised their Fold8 subsidies in the same window: KT increased them on 21 October, and SK Telecom and LG U+ followed on 22 October, with subsidies reaching up to ₩600,000. Cheaper effective prices are a well-known sales driver, and the subsidy round landed days before the Duo started shipping.
That does not take away from the result. Samsung’s foldable was expected to lose ground once Apple entered the category, and the early numbers point the other way. The Duo’s arrival appears to have grown interest in foldables as a whole, and Samsung — with the deeper foldable line-up and the heavier promotions — has picked up a large share of that interest.
What happens next
The real test comes over the holiday quarter, when both phones are on sale at full strength and the early subsidy effect fades. Samsung’s End of the Year Fiesta runs to 31 December, and the AI Subscription Club extension keeps the Fold8 in front of buyers through November. If the Fold8 keeps its lead into January, the story will no longer be about one good week — it will be about Samsung defending the foldable market it built.
