Samsung Electronics has increased the prices of its latest foldable smartphones by $100 across the lineup, citing rising memory chip costs as the company seeks to protect margins in an increasingly expensive smartphone market. The price hike comes as Samsung unveiled its new foldable devices ahead of expected competition from Apple’s first foldable iPhone later this year.
The new Galaxy Z Fold8 starts at $1,899, while the premium Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is priced at $2,099. Samsung also increased the starting price of the Galaxy Z Flip8 to $1,199, making all three models $100 more expensive than their predecessors, Reuters news report said. Despite the higher prices, Samsung has introduced wider displays, AI-powered features, and the latest Qualcomm processors to strengthen its position in the premium smartphone segment.
Smartphone customers can pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold8 in India for Rs 199,999 against MRP of Rs 204,999. Galaxy Z Fold8 offers storage of 256 GB / 12 GB. For the higher model with 1 TB / 16 GB storage, the price of Galaxy Z Fold8 is Rs 259,999 in India. Its promo says customers can move the data on their Apple iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy phone. Smart Switch offers a quick and easy way to transfer the data from your old phone — even if it has a different OS like an iPhone — onto your new Samsung Galaxy.
The price increase reflects a sharp rise in memory chip costs, which have become one of the largest components of smartphone manufacturing expenses. While Samsung’s semiconductor business is benefiting from stronger DRAM and NAND pricing, analysts believe the higher component costs could pressure the profitability of its mobile business if consumers resist premium pricing.
Samsung is betting that demand for foldable smartphones will remain resilient despite weakness in the smartphone market. According to IDC, the overall global smartphone market is expected to decline by 14 percent in 2026, while foldable smartphone shipments are forecast to grow by 20 percent, highlighting continued consumer interest in premium foldable devices.
Omdia expects the global smartphone market to remain under pressure through 2026 as memory shortages, higher DRAM and NAND prices, and constrained component supply continue to disrupt production and raise device costs. The research firm had earlier forecast global smartphone shipments to decline around 7 percent in 2026, although it expects supply conditions to gradually improve during the second half of the year.
Industry analysts, however, caution that wider displays alone may not be enough to justify the higher prices. As Apple prepares to enter the foldable smartphone market, Samsung faces increasing pressure to deliver meaningful hardware and AI innovations that can convince consumers to pay a premium for its latest Galaxy foldables.
