Samsung has confirmed its next Galaxy Unpacked event for July 22, where it’s expected to unveil its next-gen foldables. Recent reports suggest the devices may be priced significantly higher in Europe compared to their predecessors. Now, a new leak claims the same could be true for the US market as well.
US buyers could see a $100 jump
According to South Korean outlet SEDaily, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, AKA the Wide Fold, is expected to launch in the US at $1,899 for the 256GB model. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the direct successor to the Fold 7, could cost $2,099 for the same storage capacity, a $100 hike over the Fold 7’s $1,999 launch price.
This lines up with the European pricing leaked earlier this month, which put the base 256GB Ultra model at €2,199, a €100 increase over its predecessor. Although the SEDaily report doesn’t outline pricing for the other storage variants, the hike is expected to be steeper for those models.
The price hike is likely tied to the ongoing memory shortage, though Samsung is reportedly still “conducting a final review of its pricing plan,” meaning the final figures could shift by the July 22 launch.
New AI features and One UI 9.0 could help justify the higher price
To offset the price increase, Samsung is reportedly leaning heavily on software upgrades for the upcoming models. The Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and Flip 8 could be the first from the company to launch with One UI 9.0 and Gemini Intelligence, Google’s new AI system that can carry out tasks across multiple apps.
While the report doesn’t offer pricing details for the Flip 8, it echoes earlier reports suggesting the device could ship with a Qualcomm chip in select regions and Samsung’s own Exynos chip elsewhere. Samsung has not confirmed anything officially, so it’s best to take this information with a grain of salt until the company takes the stage on July 22.