Samsung says it could've charged more for its already expensive foldable phones

Samsung launched its new foldable phones this week, and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has the same price as last year’s model. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is more expensive than last year’s phone. However, Samsung has suggested that these foldables could’ve been even more expensive.

Samsung mobile chief TM Roh told journalists on the sidelines of the Unpacked event that the company ate some of the production costs associated with these new foldables.

“Pricing is always a key consideration with new product launches,” Roh was quoted as saying by the Korea Herald (via SamMobile). “There were significant innovations in this year’s models, which increased production costs. To expand foldable phones and democratize AI experiences, we decided to absorb those costs internally.”

This statement suggests that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 could’ve been more expensive. The Flip foldable starts at $1,099 in the US, while the Fold model costs $1,999 (up $100 from the Z Fold 6). Increased production costs aren’t the only issue, as Samsung also has to deal with new tariffs by the US.

Samsung is also offering the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE this year, which is supposed to be a more affordable foldable phone. However, colleague Ryan Haines isn’t impressed by the FE model’s $900 price tag. The phone effectively uses the Galaxy Z Flip 6 design but with less RAM and last year’s Exynos 2400 chip.