Samsung has announced a price hike for its previous-generation devices, including the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and S25 Edge. According to reports from the South Korean publication Newsway, these price increases are scheduled to take effect on April 1. The S25 Edge, Fold 7, and Flip 7 models with 512GB of storage and above will see a price rise of $66, while models with 1TB of storage will go up by $131.
The spot prices for memory semiconductors continue to decline. This is likely due to macroeconomic uncertainties affecting the sector, according to Daishin Securities Semiconductor analyst Ryu Hyung-geun.
Previously, it was reported that Samsung Mobile is switching to Chinese OLED panels to cut costs. Additionally, Samsung Mobile has stopped selling the Galaxy TriFold smartphone in South Korea just three months after its release.
In a stable economic environment, older generation devices typically decrease in price due to technological advancements and inevitable obsolescence. However, the current situation is having the opposite effect. Similarly, Sony has increased the prices of its previous-generation consoles.
Despite earlier predictions, insiders suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold line will see a second-generation revival.
This situation presents Samsung with a pricing dilemma: raising prices on older models could lead to customer dissatisfaction, while failing to do so may disappoint shareholders and significantly reduce profits.
The unexpected price hike for older-generation devices is attributed to rapidly rising memory chip costs and supply chain disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. One unforeseen consequence of this conflict is a global helium shortage, crucial for semiconductor manufacturing due to its role in cryogenic cooling and high-quality purification processes. Until recently, Qatar was a major helium supplier.
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