Samsung Set to Raise Prices on Latest Foldable Smartphones in India
Samsung Electronics is poised to escalate the pricing of its cutting-edge foldable smartphones in the Indian market, namely the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8.
This anticipated hike is attributed to the escalating costs of memory chips, which exert considerable pressure on smartphone manufacturers, according to insights from retailers and market analysts.
The newly launched Samsung foldables are priced between ₹1.25 lakh and ₹2.6 lakh and have elicited an extraordinary response within India.
Samsung India has reported that approximately 271,000 units were pre-ordered in the mere span of 72 hours following their debut. This milestone signifies record-breaking pre-orders for the company’s foldable smartphone segment.
Retailers now anticipate that the robust demand for memory chips, integral components in smartphones, will further inflate device prices.
Analysts contend that Samsung might eventually transfer a portion of the heightened component costs to consumers, after having absorbed a significant fraction of the increases to date.
The latest generation of foldables showcases Samsung’s most advanced lineup to date, featuring enhancements in hinge design, display quality, durability, and performance, augmented by purpose-built Galaxy AI capabilities.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra impressively measures just 4.1mm in thickness when unfolded, rendering it the slimmest device in the Galaxy Z Fold series, while the Galaxy Z Fold8 weighs a mere 201 grams, making it the lightest iteration thus far.
During the recent launch event in London, JB Park, Samsung’s President and CEO for the Southwest Asia region, remarked that the company has been shouldering a significant share of the surging smartphone costs to mitigate the potential financial strain on consumers.
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“In comparison to our competitors who have markedly increased their prices, Samsung’s pricing adjustments have been relatively modest due to our efforts to absorb costs,” Park noted at the unveiling of the new Galaxy foldables.
He further emphasized that the financial burden borne by Samsung regarding pricing in 2026 is “immense,” underscoring the firm’s commitment to delivering premium devices rather than merely aiming to safeguard or augment its market share.
Additionally, Samsung has unveiled long-tenure zero-cost EMI schemes for purchasers of the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 in India, which may aid in alleviating the impact of steeper upfront prices for consumers.
Industry experts predict that the pervasive memory shortfall could adversely influence smartphone shipments during the latter half of 2026.
Abhilash Kumar, Lead Research Advisor at Smart Analytics Global (SAG), indicated that the Indian smartphone market may experience annual shipment declines in the third and fourth quarters, as the memory scarcity drives up both component and retail prices.
“The Indian smartphone market is likely to see an annual shipment decline in Q3 and Q4 of 2026, owing to the global memory shortage within the smartphone sector, leading to price escalations,” Kumar articulated.
Source link: Siasat.com.
