The three major South Korean carriers—SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus—announced the start of pre-activation for Samsung's Galaxy Z8 series on August 4, following the completion of pre-orders. They have set the maximum subsidy at 500,000 won and are competing to attract customers with various purchasing benefits, including plans, partnership cards, and trade-in offers.
According to industry sources, all three carriers have established the maximum subsidy for the Galaxy Z8 series at 500,000 won. However, the plans eligible for the highest subsidy vary. SK Telecom offers the maximum subsidy to customers who subscribe to plans costing 109,000 won or more per month. KT requires a minimum monthly plan of 90,000 won, while LG Uplus applies it to plans starting at 85,000 won.
Pre-order interest has also surged. SK Telecom reported an increase in pre-orders for the Galaxy Z8 series compared to the previous model. Notably, customers aged 20 to 40 accounted for 65% of pre-orders, a rise of about 10 percentage points from the last model. The proportion of customers switching from traditional smartphones to foldable phones also increased to 62%, up 10 percentage points from the previous model. More than half of all pre-order customers chose the Galaxy Z Fold8.
KT also noted a significant increase in pre-order numbers compared to the last model, with over half of its customers selecting the Galaxy Z Fold8. LG Uplus reported that 67.4% of its pre-order customers opted for the Galaxy Z Fold8, followed by 17.1% for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and 15.5% for the Galaxy Z Flip8.
Color preferences varied by model. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra was most popular in Violet Shadow among SK Telecom and KT customers, while LG Uplus customers favored the Cream color for the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Pink for the Galaxy Z Flip8.
The carriers plan to enhance customer benefits with differentiated promotions during the general sales period. SK Telecom will collaborate with Netflix to offer experiential prizes, including a trip to Jeju and invitations to the 'Infinite Challenge Run in Gyeongju' event, along with a trade-in program that offers up to 1 million won for old phones. KT will revamp its 'Choice Double' plan, combining OTT and device benefits, and provide discounts of up to 1,422,000 won for using partnership cards. LG Uplus will focus on attracting customers with online-only discount coupons, long-term interest-free installments, and additional trade-in rewards.
The Galaxy Z8 series will be sequentially activated for pre-order customers starting today, with general sales set to begin on August 7.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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