Samsung unveils wider foldable phone, hikes prices as chip costs rise

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled the passport-sized Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, and Flip8 foldable phones, raising prices by up to US$100 amid rising memory chip costs. The Fold8 starts at US$1,899, the Fold8 Ultra at US$2,099, and the Flip8 at US$1,199, as the company faces a potential challenge from Apple's expected foldable launch. IDC forecasts foldable shipments will grow 20% in 2026 despite a record 14% contraction in the overall smartphone market.

Samsung unveils wider foldable phone, hikes prices as chip costs rise SEOUL Samsung Electronics on Wednesday Jul 22 unveiled a passport-sized foldable phone and raised prices of two updated foldable models, as it grapples with rising memory chip prices while bracing for a new threat from Apple in the niche but growing segment. The South Korean technology company pioneered foldable smartphones but its dominance is set to be challenged by Apple which analysts expect this year to launch a foldable phone with a screen similar in size to an iPad mini. “Strategically, this is one of Samsung’s most important foldable launches,” said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president at researcher IDC. “Samsung has to defend the category it created, and that’s why it cannot play it safe.” Samsung unveiled the three Galaxy Z foldable models powered by Alphabet’s Gemini artificial intelligence at an event in London. It priced its passport-sized Galaxy Z Fold8, featuring a wider screen aimed at video-heavy users, at US$1,899. It raised its premium Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and clamshell-style Flip8 by US$100 from their predecessors to US$2,099 and US$1,199 respectively. Samsung is likely to increase its global smartphone market share in 2026 though the overall market is set to contract a record 14 per cent due partly to a memory chip shortage, IDC forecast. Foldable shipments, on the other hand, are likely to grow 20 per cent, IDC said. Some analysts expect Samsung’s mobile division to post its first-ever quarterly loss in April-June as surging chip prices squeeze profit margins, even as they fatten margins at Samsung’s semiconductor business to record highs. Memory and storage account for more than 60 per cent of material costs in budget smartphones and more than 30 per cent in premium models, Omdia data showed. “Memory is a much smaller share of the bill of materials on a device above US$1,500 than on a mid-range phone, so there is more room to absorb higher chip prices at the top-end,” said Omdia senior analyst Sheng Win Chow. “The harder question is what justifies the price. A bigger screen alone is no longer enough,” he said. In terms of processing power, the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra use the latest processor from Qualcomm while the Flip8 uses a Qualcomm chip or Samsung’s Exynos chip depending on market. REUTERS Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free. Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services TRENDING NOW /pulse?ref=trending-now Lermit Road bungalow owned by family of Dennis Lee’s son on the market at S$98.8 million Cabinet reshuffle: Shanmugam named Senior Minister; Jeffrey Siow, David Neo, Sim Ann promoted to ministers What makes a good job? Feeling that you matter CAAS investing S$4 billion to upgrade air navigation services ahead of T5 opening