New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS): Buoyed by the response from across the country, Samsung on Wednesday said it received 1.5 lakh pre-orders for its newly-launched, ‘make in India’ fifth generation of foldable devices in the three-week period (July 27-August 17) which is 1.5 times more than last year.

Aditya Babbar, Senior Director, Mobile Business, Samsung India, told IANS that not just urban centres but the response for Galaxy Fold5 and Flip5 from tier 2, 3 and even tier 4 cities has been overwhelming this year, signalling that the Galaxy premium devices are becoming mainstream in the country.

“Numbers speak the truth. The response from ‘Bharat’ for our ultra-premium devices, thanks to the 24-month EMI scheme, has been amazing. We are growing faster pan-India in the premium and ultra-premium segment than ever before,” Babbar emphasised.

Faster availability in tier 2, 3 and even 4 cities, the unique 24-month EMI scheme and a growing set of aspirational Indian user base have helped Samsung further cement its position in the ultra-premium segment in the country.

With the new foldables, Samsung aims to reach over 50 per cent market share in India in the super-premium ($1,000 and above) segment.

“The interesting trend we see this year is a rush of new, first-time buyers for flagship foldables. For Fold5, they generally belong to the 25-44 age group, mostly male consumers and tech enthusiasts. On the other hand, Flip5 is attracting users in the less than 35 age group, and the demand for Flip is equal from both the genders,” Babbar told IANS.

“We are determined to further grow our market share in the upcoming festive season, and consolidate our leadership riding on the Galaxy flagship devices,” Babbar added.

To make foldables mainstream, Samsung increased its distribution footprint, ensuring Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 are available across 10,000 stores in India, up from 6,000 stores through which the previous generation of foldables were sold.

“We are excited to see the overwhelming response for our fifth generation foldable smartphones in India. We are confident that the robust demand for Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 among India’s tech-savvy consumers will help us consolidate our leadership in the country,” said Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India.

Customers can buy Galaxy Z Flip5 (256 GB) for a net effective price of Rs 85,999, while Galaxy Z Fold5 (256 GB) is available at Rs 138,999 for a limited period in the country.