TECH

Samsung’s new foldables arrive at up to R$19,400, revealing AI-era inflation; see prices

On Thursday (6), Samsung announced pricing for its new line of foldable phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8. As expected, the devices arrived with higher price tags, reflecting the global shortage of memory chips caused by the boom in artificial intelligence infrastructure. The models are already available for purchase in stores and online.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra—the direct successor to the Fold 7—launched at R$ 19,400 for the version with 1 TB of storage and 16 GB of RAM, a 16.9% increase. The 512 GB version of the Flip saw the steepest hike at 17.4%, rising from R$ 9,200 in 2025 to R$ 10,800 this year. During this period, the IPCA inflation rate was 4.64%. Meanwhile, the new "passport-style" Fold—which has no direct predecessor for comparison—arrived with prices ranging from R$ 12,600 to R$ 14,200(Currency of Brazil).

At the July launch, dollar-based prices saw even sharper markups. Almost all screen and memory configurations saw a US$ 100 increase, with the exception of the Fold 8 Ultra, which rose by US$ 200 for the 1 TB version. Between 2024 and 2025, the Flip line saw no price hikes, whereas the Fold line was already experiencing increases ranging from US$ 100 to US$ 240. Over the last two years, the largest proportional increases affected the models requiring the most memory. The 1 TB Galaxy Fold (with 16 GB of memory) became 19.5% more expensive, while the Flip (with 12 GB) rose by 14.8%. Renato Citrini, senior product manager at Samsung Brazil, told *O Globo* how Brazilian production and retail partnerships were crucial in managing how costs were passed on to consumers:

— Memory costs have an impact, but we can't simply pass the cost on based on a mathematical calculation, or we risk losing customers. We have to make adjustments here and there. Partnerships with carriers and retailers are key to keeping the final price as low as possible.

At launch, the tech giant ran a promotion allowing customers to double their storage capacity for half the price. Through carrier partnerships, devices can be discounted further when bundled with service plans, while retailers are offering installment plans ranging from 10 to 36 months. Until September 6, Samsung is also offering up to R$ 3,000 for other Samsung phones traded in through its exchange program.

Despite being one of the world's largest memory manufacturers, Samsung has been passing cost increases on to consumers—and it is not alone. In June, Apple raised prices on its computers and tablets, with hikes ranging from 6% to 29% for Macs and up to 36% for iPads.

This inflationary pressure stems from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, which has driven up demand for RAM and NAND memory chips. According to the consultancy TechInsights, component prices have quadrupled over the past year and are expected to keep rising. Earlier this year, PC manufacturers operating in Brazil spoke to *O Globo* about the difficulty of sourcing components; at the time, one executive predicted a market shortage of notebooks.

— The memory crisis is affecting the smartphone market in a dramatic and unprecedented way. The average selling price is expected to rise by 20.3% this year. Memory manufacturers prefer supplying AI data centers, which offer higher profit margins. Samsung and Apple have the margin to absorb some of the additional costs without losing sales, unlike brands that sell lower-priced smartphones. Consumers with less purchasing power are the ones most affected. "The moral of the story is that the world is undergoing a technological revolution driven by artificial intelligence, but we are already paying the price before we’ve even reaped the benefits," says Francisco Jeronimo, Vice President of Data and Analytics at the consultancy IDC.

This year, Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung—three of the world's largest memory manufacturers—surpassed a combined market value of $1 trillion, driven by significant revenue growth resulting from the appetite for these components among companies like Meta, Google, and Amazon. In the most recent quarter, Samsung reported a 250-fold increase in profit for its chip division and stated that the memory shortage is expected to worsen by 2027.

During the announcement, Daniel Araujo, a vice president at the Korean giant, stated that rising memory prices are creating an "exceptionally challenging" environment for mobile device operations.

"We see no signs of a return to pre-AI-boom pricing. It is a highly volatile time that is impacting electronics across the board. The automotive market is feeling the impact, too. For upcoming product launches, we are already incorporating LPDDR5 RAM—which is more expensive—because DDR4 memory is being phased out. So, we have to be prepared to ensure there is no disruption in product supply," says Citrini.

New form factor...The latest addition to Samsung's foldable family is the new "standard" Fold 8, featuring a form factor reminiscent of a passport. It sports a 5.5-inch screen when closed and a 7.6-inch display when unfolded. The Fold 8 features a more modest camera setup, with two rear lenses and a resolution of up to 50 megapixels—whereas the Ultra model boasts a triple-lens array and 200 MP resolution, matching the Galaxy S26. Both models come with a 10 MP front-facing camera.

The Ultra version also offers up to 1 TB of internal storage, while the standard version tops out at 512 GB. Both models feature a titanium frame, which makes the display crease less visible. For the first time, all three smartphones utilize silicon-carbon battery technology, allowing for lighter devices with longer battery life—the new Fold weighs just 201 grams. By comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro, which lacks a foldable screen, weighs 206 grams.

"We believe the new model could help boost sales. It serves as an option for those who found the Ultra too large and the Flip too small. The new Fold is positioned as a device for heavy content consumers, while the Ultra is geared more toward productivity. The 4:3 aspect ratio is what people are most accustomed to," says Citrini.

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