SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold8 is drawing a younger and more female customer base than its predecessors, early sales data showed, offering signs that the premium foldable is moving beyond its traditional image as a productivity-focused device favored largely by older male users.
Consumers in their teens through 30s accounted for more than half of Fold8 purchases through Samsung's Korean online store during the preorder period, according to the company. Purchases by women in the same age group more than doubled from the previous model.
The shift comes alongside stronger initial demand for Samsung's broader Galaxy Z8 foldable lineup.
Counterpoint Research said global preorders for the Galaxy Z8 series rose more than 30 percent from its predecessor, including a 39 percent increase in South Korea and growth of more than 20 percent in Europe.
The research firm pointed to the Fold8's wider display and improved portability as factors behind the stronger early demand. Samsung has sought to make the device thinner and lighter while retaining the large-screen format that has traditionally distinguished its Fold series.
The changes could help Samsung broaden a category that has historically appealed heavily to users seeking multitasking and work-oriented features.
Early demand has also strengthened overseas. U.S. preorders were more than 30 percent above Samsung's previous record for a Fold series, while some Fold8 variants sold out on Samsung's Japanese online store, according to the company.
Whether that initial momentum translates into sustained sales remains to be seen, but the changing buyer mix suggests Samsung's foldable flagship may be reaching beyond the relatively narrow customer base that defined earlier generations.
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