Galaxy Z Fold8 Sales Jump 50% in Europe as iPhone Owners Switch to Samsung Foldables

Samsung says combined European sales of the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra are running 50% ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold7 over the same period after launch. The company released the figures on 9 September, the same day Apple showed its first folding iPhone. Samsung's message was clear: the foldable market it has built over eight generations is growing, and a growing number of its new customers are former iPhone owners.

The Z8 series went on sale in early August, and Samsung's comparison tracks sales from launch. The company did not publish unit numbers, so the figures show the rate of growth rather than the size of the business.

The Numbers Samsung Released

• Fold8 sales: up 50% across Europe for the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra combined, compared with the Fold7 over the same period.
• iPhone switchers: the number of iPhone users moving to the Z8 series rose 60% compared with the Z7 series over the same period in 2025.
• Flip to Fold upgrades: three times as many Galaxy Z Flip owners moved up to the Fold8 as moved to the Fold7.
• Conquest buyers: 20% of Galaxy Z Flip8 buyers came from competing brands.

Samsung says the switching data comes from Smart Switch, its tool for moving data from an old phone to a new Galaxy device. That is a reasonable indicator of where buyers came from. However, it only records people who used the tool, and Samsung chose which comparisons to publish.

Samsung is not just defending the foldable market. It is showing that the category now wins buyers from Apple, just as Apple arrives with its own foldable.

Why the Timing Matters

Samsung has sold folding phones for years with little direct competition from Apple in the premium segment. That changed on 9 September. The iPhone Duo is priced from $1,999 and does not ship until 23 October, which gives Samsung roughly six weeks in which the Fold8 is the most visible book-style foldable on shop shelves.

By publishing its switching data now, Samsung is making an argument to carriers and retailers as well as consumers: the Fold has a track record, a strong sales curve and a proven ability to attract iPhone owners. When Apple enters a category, it often grows the whole market. Samsung wants to be the default alternative when that happens.

What Is Driving Demand

The Z8 generation is the lightest Samsung has made. The Fold8 Ultra also moves closer to a traditional flagship camera phone, a long-standing weakness of the category.

• Camera: the Fold8 Ultra has a 200MP main camera and a 50MP ultra-wide, the first 50MP ultra-wide on a Galaxy Z Fold.
• Battery: the Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, with a rated capacity of 4,854mAh.
• Choice: a two-model Fold range gives buyers a lighter standard model or a more fully featured Ultra.

Samsung said the Z8 results were "fostering widespread adoption of foldables". It also highlighted that different buyers want different things from a folding phone, from portability to productivity.

Who Is Affected

• European carriers: stronger foldable demand supports higher-value contracts at a time when overall handset upgrade cycles have slowed.
• Apple: the Duo arrives in a market where many people who wanted a large folding phone may already have bought one.
• Other Android makers: Samsung's figures raise the bar for Chinese brands that have been competing hard on foldables in Europe.

What Happens Next

The real test comes in the fourth quarter. Apple's foldable reaches buyers in late October, just before the holiday period, when promotions are at their heaviest. If Samsung's growth continues after the Duo is on sale, the Fold8 figures will look like a sign of lasting demand rather than a head start.

The Bottom Line

A 50% sales increase and a 60% rise in iPhone switchers make a strong opening argument. Samsung has chosen its comparisons carefully and has not released volumes, so the numbers should be read as a well-timed signal rather than a full scorecard. The European foldable fight has begun, and Samsung has made the first move.

Image: Dinkun Chen via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0