Samsung Earnings Put New Foldables at the Center of Its Asia Strategy

Samsung’s record second-quarter earnings were powered almost entirely by its semiconductor business, masking losses in the division that includes smartphones, televisions and home appliances. With the mobile business under pressure from higher component costs, Samsung is relying on the newly launched Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Fold8 and Flip8 to lift premium sales and improve the economics of its device portfolio.

Samsung reported record quarterly revenue of KRW 171.5 trillion, or about $116.7 billion, and operating profit of KRW 89.5 trillion, or about $60.9 billion, on July 30. The new foldables now need to turn early demand in Asia into sustained sales while Samsung competes with Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers in the region driving most foldable shipments.

Strong early demand meets a tougher profit environment

Samsung does not report foldable revenue, shipments or profit separately. An Associated Press report on Samsung’s results said the division containing its mobile, television and home-appliance businesses recorded an operating loss partly because of higher component costs. The results do not isolate Galaxy phones or foldables.

Rising memory and component costs are making smartphones more expensive to build, increasing the need for premium models to generate healthy margins.

Samsung introduced the three Fold8 models on July 22. A comparison of the Fold8 Ultra and Fold8 shows how the company divided its book-style lineup between a larger productivity model and a lighter device aimed at reading, entertainment and everyday use.

India offers the clearest early demand signal. Samsung said the lineup received more than 270,000 preorders within 72 hours. The preceding generation took about 15 days to reach a comparable total.

Those figures cover all three models and come from Samsung rather than audited retail data. They do not show completed purchases, full-price sales or the cost of financing, trade-ins and other incentives.

Competition is concentrated in the region producing most foldable shipments. TechInsights estimated that Asia-Pacific accounted for more than 81% of worldwide foldable shipments in the first quarter of 2026.

Huawei led global shipments with a 54.4% share, supported by its strength in China, while Samsung held 22.8%. Huawei’s wide-format Pura X Max also shows how quickly Chinese manufacturers are broadening their foldable portfolios.

Enterprise uptake will depend on support and control

Samsung’s earnings do not disclose foldable sales by country, average selling prices or product-level profit. Those gaps make it difficult to determine whether the Fold8 family is gaining profitable share across individual APAC markets.

Enterprise buyers also need information that quarterly results cannot provide. Procurement teams should confirm regional pricing, Knox and mobile device management compatibility, software-support terms, repair turnaround and screen-replacement costs.

AI features require similar scrutiny. IT teams should establish which functions process data on the device, which use cloud services and what controls administrators can apply before employees handle corporate information.

The next earnings cycles should show whether demand survives the launch period. Sustained sales, less reliance on promotions and improved consumer-device profitability would provide stronger evidence than preorder totals alone.

Read more: Samsung’s Flex Titanium display redesign shows how the company is addressing crease visibility and durability concerns that could influence enterprise adoption.