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Samsung’s newest generation of foldable smartphones has smashed the company’s previous pre-order records across multiple continents ahead of their official launch Friday, suggesting foldable devices may finally be moving toward mainstream adoption after years as a relatively niche corner of the smartphone market.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8 opened pre-orders on July 22 and closed the window on Aug. 6, ahead of a full public launch scheduled for Friday, Aug. 7. Samsung shared performance data with multiple outlets throughout the pre-order period showing the new lineup significantly outpacing every previous foldable generation the company has released.

Records Falling Across Multiple Markets

In South Korea, Samsung recorded 1.44 million units in pre-sales across the three new models over a seven-day stretch from July 28 to Aug. 3, according to a company statement. That figure surpassed the previous Korean pre-order record of 1.38 million units, held by the Galaxy Note 10 since 2019, and comfortably exceeded the 1.35 million units recorded for the Galaxy S26 series earlier this year. It also more than doubled the 1.04 million combined pre-orders recorded for the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 during the same window last year. According to a report cited by Dataconomy, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 alone accounted for more than 70% of that Korean pre-order total.

In the United States, Samsung confirmed to Mashable that pre-orders were outpacing the company’s previous Z series record by 30%, with the Z Fold 8 accounting for nearly half of all U.S. pre-orders. In Europe, Samsung reported that pre-order performance had surpassed all previous foldable smartphone records by more than 17%, even with a full day remaining in the pre-order window at the time the figures were shared. European demand for the non-flip Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra models specifically surged 70% compared with the equivalent Z Fold 7 models, with the redesigned Z Fold 8 alone capturing 40% of all European pre-orders.

A New Design Driving Demand

Much of the excitement surrounding this year’s lineup has centered on the Z Fold 8, which introduces a notably wider form factor than previous Fold generations, a shape that reportedly matches rumors surrounding Apple’s still-unconfirmed foldable iPhone. In a statement shared alongside its U.S. pre-order figures, Samsung said the redefined form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has introduced the foldable experience to an even broader group of users with diverse lifestyles, adding that the company expects the global foldable market to grow more than 20% annually and more than double in size by 2028.

Flip Owners Trading Up

One of the more notable trends Samsung highlighted involves existing Galaxy Z Flip owners upgrading to the larger Fold form factor at unprecedented rates. The company said roughly three times as many Flip users are switching to Fold devices this generation compared with the prior cycle, a shift some analysts have attributed to the improved usability and broader appeal of the redesigned Z Fold 8 specifically. Samsung also disclosed that nearly one in four buyers who pre-ordered a Fold or Flip device this year also pre-ordered one of the company’s new Galaxy Watch models, pointing to strong cross-category demand across its broader device ecosystem.

Popular Colors Selling Out

Demand has been strong enough that certain color options have reportedly sold out in some markets. Globally, Graphite emerged as the most popular color choice across both Fold models, while Pink led sales for the Flip 8. Among younger buyers on Samsung’s own retail platform, specifically those between 15 and 34 years old, a trio of exclusive green-toned colorways, Green Shadow on the Fold 8 Ultra, Pistachio on the Fold 8, and Mint on the Flip 8, proved especially popular.

Higher Prices Haven’t Slowed Demand

The record-breaking pre-order volume comes despite all three new models launching at higher prices than their predecessors, a shift the company has attributed in part to an ongoing memory chip shortage affecting the broader smartphone industry. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 carries a starting price of $1,899.99, the Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $2,099.99, and the Z Flip 8 starts at $1,199.99. Samsung also reportedly scaled back some pre-order incentives, including free storage upgrades, in several markets compared with prior launches, making the scale of the demand surge notable given the less generous promotional environment.

Part of a Broader Premium Smartphone Trend

The strength of Samsung’s foldable pre-orders arrives amid a broader shift toward premium smartphone segments across the industry. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, the premium smartphone segment accounted for 29% of overall global smartphone volume during the first half of 2026, up from 25% during the same period the year before. That said, Samsung’s mobile experience division, the unit responsible for its Galaxy phones, tablets and wearables, reported an operating loss for the second quarter of 2026 despite revenue growth, according to Korean media reports, prompting the company to reportedly reassess its broader pricing strategy across sticker prices, trade-in promotions and regional pricing structures.

A Potential Turning Point for Foldables

The foldable phone category emerged less than a decade ago, and early devices in the space were often criticized as expensive, occasionally gimmicky, and prone to visible creasing along their fold lines. In the years since, foldable hardware has improved considerably, and early adopters have identified a growing range of practical use cases for folding displays beyond novelty appeal. Despite those improvements, foldables have largely remained a niche segment of the broader smartphone market. This year’s unprecedented pre-order performance, however, has led some industry observers to suggest the category may finally be approaching a more mainstream inflection point, particularly with Apple reportedly preparing to enter the foldable market with its own device in the near future.

With pre-orders now closed and full retail availability beginning Friday through carriers, retailers, Samsung’s own website and its physical Experience Stores, attention will shift toward whether the strong pre-order momentum translates into similarly strong sales once the devices reach a broader base of walk-in customers. Samsung has already confirmed reviews of the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra are live ahead of launch day, giving prospective buyers additional information as they weigh the new lineup against its record-breaking early demand.

Markets regulator Sebi on Thursday proposed streamlining rules for stock exchanges and clearing corporations, including a separate Master Circular for clearing corporations, to eliminate duplication and clearly segregate applicable provisions.

At present, provisions relating to stock exchanges and clearing corporations are contained across the Master Circular for Stock Exchanges and Clearing Corporations (MSECC) issued in December 2024, and the Master Circular for Commodity Derivatives (MCCD) issued in August 2023.

In its consultation paper, Sebi has proposed merging provisions pertaining to clearing corporations contained in the two master circulars into a separate Master Circular for Clearing Corporations.

Similarly, certain requirements primarily concerning exchanges have been proposed to be shifted to the relevant chapters of the Master Circular for Exchanges.

Among other changes, Sebi has proposed extending certain website disclosure requirements for clearing corporations to all segments. These include disclosures relating to the policy on composition and contributions to the Core Settlement Guarantee Fund (SGF), quarterly break-up of contributions, investment policy for the Core SGF and the default waterfall for each segment.

The regulator has also proposed exempting clearing corporations registered as depository participants (DPs) from submitting periodic DP-related reports and filings to depositories.
Sebi noted that clearing corporations retain DP registrations mainly for establishing connectivity with depositories for clearing and settlement activities and do not undertake retail client transactions like regular DPs.Further, several provisions concerning stock brokers, including mode of payment and delivery, block mechanism for early pay-in, pay-in validation, client collateral and pledge/re-pledge of securities, are proposed to be removed from the MSECC since these are already covered under the Master Circular for Stock Brokers dated June 17, 2025.

The regulator has also proposed deleting or relocating provisions relating to client code modification, order-level checks, dynamic price bands and base minimum capital as these are already covered elsewhere in the regulatory framework.

Requirements relating to calculation of mean impact cost and risk reduction mode, among others, are proposed to be moved to the relevant trading and exchange-traded derivatives chapters of the Master Circular for Exchanges.

Further, provisions concerning clearing corporations that are currently contained in the commodity derivatives and stock exchange master circulars, including those dealing with risk management, delivery and settlement of derivative contracts, have been proposed to be consolidated into the new Master Circular for Clearing Corporations.

Sebi said the move would help standardise norms, rationalise periodic filings, remove obsolete requirements and simplify the regulatory framework.

The regulator has sought public comments on whether provisions under the two existing master circulars should be merged and whether those relating to stock exchanges and clearing corporations should be separated.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has sought public comments on the proposals till August 27.

Some businesses grow because they find the right market. Others grow because people remember how they were treated.

For Corey Hunt, Owner and Master Electrician of Rocky Coast Electric, the goal has never been simply to complete electrical projects. It has been to build a company that customers trust, employees are proud to join, and the community can rely on for years to come.

That philosophy shapes every decision he makes.

“Success to me is the continuing of education. Constantly improving day after day and being better than the day before,” Corey says.

It is a simple idea, but one that has guided both his career and the steady growth of Rocky Coast Electric.

What Makes Corey Hunt’s Approach to Leadership Different?

Corey believes great businesses are built long before they become successful. They are built through habits.

Showing up prepared.

Doing quality work.

Keeping promises.

Treating people with respect.

Those principles have stayed with him throughout his career, from his early days working on solar installations to leading his own company today.

“Showing up to work every day and working harder than everybody else. Creating solutions for people with problems,” he says.

For Corey, electrical work is about much more than wiring a building. Every project is an opportunity to solve a problem and give someone confidence that the work was done right.

That mindset has helped Rocky Coast Electric establish a reputation for dependable service across Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn area.

Why Continuous Learning Never Stops

Although Corey holds a Master Electrician licence in Maine, he never considers his education finished.

The electrical industry continues to evolve. Solar energy, electric vehicles, smart homes, battery storage, and energy-efficient technologies are changing how people power their homes and businesses.

Rather than seeing those changes as challenges, Corey sees opportunities to keep learning.

“I don’t stop reading,” he says.

His reading ranges from leadership and business books to personal development and the Bible. Books such as How to Win Friends and Influence People, Buy Back Your Time, and The Richest Man in Babylon have influenced the way he communicates, leads, and plans for the future.

That commitment to learning also benefits his customers. As technology changes, Corey believes professionals have a responsibility to stay ahead of the curve instead of relying only on what worked yesterday.

How Rocky Coast Electric Builds Customer Trust

Technical skill matters, but Corey believes trust is what turns a first-time customer into a long-term relationship.

That starts with communication.

It continues with honesty.

And it ends with delivering quality work.

One lesson has shaped his leadership style throughout his career.

“I learned early on that you can be nice to people and still get stuff done. You don’t have to be rude to get your point across.”

That approach influences how he works with homeowners, business owners, suppliers, and employees alike.

Respect is not separate from professionalism. To Corey, it is part of it.

His goal is to build a company known as much for its character as its craftsmanship.

Building Leaders, Not Just Completing Projects

Launching Rocky Coast Electric in 2023 gave Corey the opportunity to build the kind of company he always envisioned.

Growth is important.

But sustainable growth comes from investing in people.

Corey believes mentoring employees, sharing knowledge, and creating opportunities are some of the most rewarding parts of leadership.

He wants people who work alongside him to improve their own skills and confidence with every project.

That philosophy reflects the same approach he takes toward his own development.

“I set goals at a ridiculous time limit and hope to achieve them in double that, or sooner.”

For Corey, ambitious goals create momentum. Even when plans change, moving forward is what matters most.

“Moving forward is success even if it doesn’t look like it on the surface.”

Family, Faith, and a Long-Term Vision

Outside of work, Corey enjoys spending time with his wife and children. He also stays active through basketball, swimming, exercise, and continuing to learn about solar technology and electric vehicles.

His Christian faith remains a steady influence in both his personal life and his business.

Rather than separating faith from work, Corey believes values like honesty, humility, service, and integrity should be visible in everyday actions.

His family also shapes the way he thinks about success.

Building a respected company is important, but so is building a life that creates opportunities for others.

Whether that means mentoring employees, serving customers well, supporting his church, or giving back to the local community, Corey wants Rocky Coast Electric to stand for more than electrical work alone.

Looking Ahead

Corey Hunt does not measure success by a single project or milestone.

He measures it by whether the company continues to improve.

Whether customers continue to recommend Rocky Coast Electric.

Whether employees grow into future leaders.

And whether every year brings new knowledge, stronger relationships, and better service.

“We need something to work for always. Be passionate about your life. Don’t take no for an answer.”

That philosophy continues to shape Rocky Coast Electric as it grows. It is also shaping Corey Hunt’s reputation as a business owner who believes that lasting success is earned through craftsmanship, leadership, continuous learning, and a genuine commitment to serving others.

Operator

Welcome to the Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this call is being recorded today, August 6, 2026.

I will now turn the call over to Lisa DeFrancesco, SVP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications for Lexicon. Please go ahead, Lisa.

Lisa DeFrancesco
Senior Vice President of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Thank you, Therese. Good morning, and welcome to our Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call. Joining me today are Dr. Mike Exton, Lexicon’s Chief Executive Officer and Director; Dr. Craig Granowitz, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer; and Scott Coiante, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

This morning, Lexicon issued a press release announcing our financial results for the second quarter of 2026, which is available on our website at www.lexpharma.com and through our SEC filings. A webcast of this call, along with the slide presentation is also available on our website.

During this call, we will review the information provided in our release, provide a corporate update and then use the remainder of our time to answer your questions.

Before we begin, let me remind you that we will be making forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the safety, efficacy, clinical development, regulatory status and therapeutic and commercial potential of sotagliflozin, pilavapadin, LX9851 and our other drug programs as well as our business

A food bank that offers free school uniforms has said that full time and self-employed professionals are among those relying on its support.

The Community Cupboard in Kent has begun offering pre-loved school uniforms to local families during the school holidays.

The volunteer-run service provides food supplies and support to families struggling to make ends meet from its West Kingsdown and Swanley sites.

“We’re still seeing lots of working families, it’s not just those that aren’t working,” founder Tracey Wood said.

Wood said that the charity, that has been running for seven years, helped “a lot of teachers, teaching assistants, a lot of hospital staff, self-employed”.

“The money they have each month coming in is what’s going out so once something goes wrong – be it the car, the washing machine – it just tips them over,” she said.

The teaching assistant added: “Although I’m paid throughout the summer, it’s still it’s not enough to pay for something every single day.”

Laura, a full-time carer for her husband and children, said: “You don’t get any help, and this is the only place we come to for help.”

Her children would have to wear uniforms too small for them without the uniform bank, she said.

“Or I’d have to try and ask the school for more help,” she added.

Planning consent for demolition at landmark site to south of the city centre

Plans are advancing for what promises to be a landmark development on one of the most prominent plots along Liverpool’s southern waterfront, spearheaded by the team behind the Home Bargains retail empire.

Earlier this summer, proposals were unveiled for a big redevelopment of the former Norton Scrap Metal site in the city’s Baltic Triangle district, on land bordered by Upper Parliament Street, Chaloner Street and Flint Street.

According to an environmental impact assessment lodged for the two-acre site, the scheme could involve three new residential towers of up to 27 storeys, alongside a hotel, office space and mixed-use facilities.

The project is being driven by Davos Property Developments, the real estate and property investment division of T. J Morris – the parent company of Home Bargains – in partnership with property developer Brickland.

In the latest stage of the process, the development team is now seeking planning permission for demolition works on the remaining structures currently occupying the site, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Darren Leary, chief operating officer at Brickland, said: “There are some small buildings related to the site’s former use as a scrap yard that need clearing, together with hard standing. In addition, there will be some work to retaining walls in readiness for future development.”

Should permission be granted, the demolition contract would require roughly 26 weeks to complete, with works anticipated to commence on site during the second quarter of 2027.

Brownfield Solutions have offered environmental and remediation guidance, while Cundall have been advising on structural and civil engineering matters. Planning consultancy has been delivered by Savills.

A further application, covering the proposed development of the site itself, is expected to follow in the autumn, Mr Leary confirmed.

This marks the second major waterfront development scheme from the team behind Home Bargains. The Liverpool-headquartered firm is also driving ambitious £1.2 billion proposals to regenerate land at the King Edward Triangle near the city’s northern docks.

Those plans, which are already advancing with certain permissions secured, will ultimately deliver 2,750 new homes across 10 towers, including a 70-storey structure incorporating a five-star hotel.

Liverpool Council has already approved planning permission for the scheme’s first building, a 28-storey tower called No. 1 Kings, with additional applications anticipated in the coming months.

Options trading volumes in India fell sharply in FY26 after markets regulator Sebi tightened rules to curb excessive retail speculation in the derivatives market. According to Sebi annual report 2025-26, total contract volumes in options declined 51% during the year. The fall came even as overall combined notional turnover in equity derivatives rose 4% to Rs 1.1 lakh crore.

The drop shows the impact of Sebi regulatory push to reduce hyperactive trading, especially around expiry days. Over the past year, the regulator introduced several measures aimed at making derivatives trading more disciplined and less risky for retail investors.

Sebi said the decline in options volumes was mainly because of higher contract sizes, rationalised weekly expiries, mandatory upfront premium collection and an increase in securities transaction tax.

Expiry-day trading hit

The biggest focus of the regulator has been expiry-day activity, where retail traders often take short-term bets in index options. These trades can generate very high volumes but also expose small investors to sharp losses.

Also Read: Sebi proposes separate master circular for clearing corporations
To address this, Sebi asked exchanges to choose either Tuesday or Thursday as the uniform weekly and monthly expiry day. It also restricted exchanges to only one weekly benchmark index options contract. Other derivative products must now have a minimum tenure of one month.The regulator also introduced real-time intraday position monitoring for equity index options and additional eligibility criteria for launching derivatives on non-benchmark indices.

These steps were aimed at reducing crowded expiry-day speculation and improving market stability.

Higher cost, fewer trades

The fall in option volumes also reflects the higher cost of trading. Larger contract sizes mean traders need more capital to take positions. Upfront premium collection reduces the ability to build leveraged positions without adequate funds.

The rise in securities transaction tax also made frequent option trades more expensive. Together, these measures appear to have cooled a segment that had seen explosive retail participation in recent years.

Quality over quantity

While volumes fell, Sebi broader message is that lower speculative activity may be healthier for the market. The annual report also noted that delivery-to-traded quantity and value ratios in the cash market rose to around 30%, showing a growing preference for ownership over intraday speculation.

The data suggests FY26 was a turning point for India’s derivatives market. The options market is still large, but the easy-volume phase driven by expiry-day retail frenzy has started to slow.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)

Somewhere in a Manchester co-working space, a founder scrolling through the morning business headlines pauses over one figure: $55bn.

That is the sum Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund agreed to pay to take Electronic Arts private, one of the largest buyouts in corporate history. For anyone tracking where serious money is flowing, the message is hard to miss. Entertainment — games, streaming, interactive leisure of every kind — has become one of the most sought-after asset classes on the planet. And where big capital leads, consumer appetite tends to follow.

That appetite has been reshaping how British adults spend their downtime, and the trend extends well beyond consoles and box sets. A growing slice of leisure spending now flows into interactive online entertainment, and among the options UK players explore are non gamstop casinos — internationally licensed sites offering slots, blackjack, roulette and live-dealer tables. These are online casinos not registered with the GamStop scheme, operating under overseas licences, and reviewers tend to compare them on the strength of their bonuses, the breadth of their game libraries and the payment options they support. For UK leisure consumers weighing where to spend an idle evening, understanding how such sites are licensed and how safely they handle deposits and withdrawals has become part of the modern entertainment conversation.

A Buyout That Reveals the Bigger Picture

The EA deal is worth dwelling on because of what it signals rather than what it is. Sovereign wealth funds do not part with tens of billions on a whim. The PIF has spent recent years assembling a portfolio that reads like a map of where global leisure is heading — stakes in games publishers, esports organisations and streaming ventures. Buying EA outright, the studio behind FIFA-era football titles, Battlefield and The Sims, is a statement that interactive entertainment is now core infrastructure for the attention economy.

For UK SME owners, the takeaway is less about the headline number and more about the direction of travel. When the smartest institutional money bets heavily on how people amuse themselves, it tends to validate an entire ecosystem of smaller businesses feeding into that demand: independent studios, payment specialists, marketing agencies and the countless start-ups building tools for a leisure market that shows no sign of cooling.

Why Leisure Spending Keeps Rising

There is a simple logic underpinning the boom. As disposable income shifts and working patterns loosen, adults are carving out more moments for entertainment they can access instantly, on any screen, at any hour. A commuter fires up a mobile game on the train home. A couple settles in for a streaming binge. Someone with a spare twenty minutes spins a few slot reels or joins a live-dealer table from the sofa.

This on-demand quality is precisely what investors find so compelling. Unlike a night at the cinema, digital leisure is not bound by opening hours or geography. The market is enormous, sticky and increasingly frictionless — and that combination is exactly what turned the EA transaction from an ambitious idea into a signed cheque. It also helps explain why Britain’s fintech cluster runs so deep, a strength documented in the government-backed UK FinTech State of the Nation report.

The Money Plumbing Behind the Fun

None of this works without the unglamorous machinery of payments. Every game purchase, every streaming subscription, every deposit into a gaming account depends on money moving quickly and reliably. Britain happens to be exceptionally strong here. The rise of challenger banks reshaped consumer expectations almost overnight, as chronicled in the story of Monzo’s fresh approach under TS Anil. Once people grew used to tapping a phone and seeing a transaction confirmed in seconds, they carried that expectation into every corner of their spending — leisure very much included.

For entrepreneurs, this is where opportunity hides in plain sight. The entertainment surge is not only about content; it is about the rails that carry the cash. Faster, smoother, more transparent transactions have become a competitive edge for any consumer-facing business, and the firms perfecting that plumbing are quietly indispensable to the whole leisure economy.

Britain’s Fintech Advantage

The UK’s position is no accident. The country has built one of the deepest fintech clusters anywhere. That depth matters enormously to the entertainment sector, because the moment a leisure business scales internationally, it needs partners who can handle multiple currencies, instant settlement and airtight security without breaking stride.

Global regulators have been paying attention too. The Bank for International Settlements has examined how technology is rewiring finance in its analysis of the digital transformation of financial services, noting how consumer behaviour and infrastructure now evolve in lockstep. For a British SME serving the leisure market, that alignment is a gift: the tools once reserved for banking giants are increasingly available off the shelf, letting small teams punch far above their weight.

What It All Means for Smaller Businesses

Step back and a pattern emerges. A sovereign fund pays a record sum for a games publisher. UK adults pour more of their evenings into interactive entertainment. Fintech firms make the underlying transactions effortless. Each of these threads reinforces the others, and together they describe a market that favours businesses able to spot where leisure and technology intersect.

For the founder in that co-working space, the EA figure is not just a distant piece of corporate news. It is a signal that the entertainment economy has genuine staying power — and that the smaller businesses supplying it, from payment innovators to content creators, are operating in one of the most resilient corners of the modern market. The giants may grab the headlines, but the real momentum is spread across thousands of nimble enterprises quietly cashing in on how the nation chooses to unwind.

It is unlikely Meta will be the last to emerge with findings of models showing they have, as Prof Woodward puts it, “gone to school” – and learnt our own ways of finding and exploiting gaps in systems.

For some, these episodes point to clear security failures on the part of AI companies leading the charge on this game-changing, era-defining tech.

For others, they are merely another vehicle for tech firms to hype up their powerful models and compete with rivals.

For me, both theories hold some grain of truth.

But in rearing their head one after another, these events have nonetheless spurred fears about AI’s capabilities and where these are headed as developers forge ahead.

And the question inevitably moves to what regulators can and should do next.

Michael Birtwistle, associate director at the Ada Lovelace Institute, makes the point that the UK lacks legal incentives for AI firms to prevent systems from developing capabilities which could pose dangers, and that there are no repercussions if testing protocols fail.

More broadly, Dr Imogen Stead, AI policy manager at the Centre for Long-Term Resilience, told the BBC that with opportunities to test frontier AI systems narrowing for many, governments should follow the UK in setting up dedicated institutes for testing.

Improving third-party evaluations with initiatives such as a “trusted tester scheme” for the most risky types of challenges could also be used to limit adverse impacts, she said.

Rather than fear an AI-cyber apocalypse in the meantime, Prof Woodward says, “it’s a case of ‘keep calm and fix stuff’”.

Additional reporting by Philippa Wain and Imran Rahman-Jones