CEO says company will absorb rising memory costs as it targets record Fold sales and braces for Apple's market entry Samsung Electronics co-CEO and Mobile eXperience chief Roh Tae-moon speaks at a press briefing for Korean reporters held immediately after Galaxy Unpacked 2026 in London, Wednesday. (Samsung Electronics) LONDON — Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it would continue to offer its most competitive Galaxy foldable pricing in Korea, even as soaring memory costs threaten to push smartphone prices higher worldwide.“Our aim is to offer Korean consumers the most competitive prices anywhere in the world, and we will do our utmost to keep it that way,” Roh Tae-moon, Samsung Electronics co-CEO and head of its Device eXperience division, said Wednesday at a briefing with Korean reporters at Old Billingsgate immediately after Galaxy Unpacked.Samsung set the 256-gigabyte Galaxy Z Fold8 at 2.28 million won ($1,550) in Korea. The Fold8 Ultra and Flip8 start at 2.58 million won and 1.68 million won, respectively.At Wednesday’s closing exchange rate of 1,480.1 won per dollar, Korean prices are about 19 percent lower for the Fold8, 17 percent lower for the Fold8 Ultra and 5 percent lower for the Flip8 than their respective US list prices of $1,899.99, $2,099.99 and $1,199.99.The calculation is a straight currency comparison and does not adjust for differences in local taxes.The price gap is wider than it was for last year’s models. On the same basis, the Fold7 was about 13 percent cheaper in Korea than in the US, while the difference for the Flip7 was less than 2 percent.Roh tied the policy to the role Korean consumers have played in strengthening Samsung’s mobile business.“The support, criticism and encouragement we have received from Korean consumers have been an important foundation for Galaxy’s global competitiveness,” he said.The pledge comes as smartphone makers face steep increases in component costs. Market tracker Gartner expects combined DRAM and solid-state drive prices to surge as much as 130 percent by the end of the year, lifting smartphone prices by 13 percent from 2025.Roh said Samsung would draw on its purchasing scale and long-standing supplier relationships to secure components and contain the impact on retail prices.“We believe much of the pressure can be absorbed through supply-chain optimization and early-stage and joint development with our partners,” he said. “We will not pass the full increase on to consumers.”He acknowledged that cost increases beyond what Samsung and its suppliers could absorb may eventually be reflected in launch prices, but said the company would work to minimize the burden on buyers.With its first three-model foldable lineup, Samsung is targeting record sales for the Z series this year, with the Fold8 expected to generate new demand, Roh said.The new Fold8 is a lighter, wider book-style device with a main display close to a 4:3 aspect ratio, designed around browsing, reading and video consumption. The Fold8 Ultra occupies the top tier with a larger screen, a 200-megapixel main camera and a stronger focus on productivity, while the Flip8 remains the compact option.Roh said the three models were developed around different expectations for display size, portability, cameras, battery life and performance.The broader lineup arrives as Samsung’s early lead in foldables comes under growing pressure. Market tracker Counterpoint Research expects Samsung to retain the top spot this year with a 32 percent share, down from 40 percent in 2025, while Apple is forecast to capture 25 percent in its first year in the category.Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies launched the wide-format, book-style Pura X Max there in April, while Apple is widely expected to enter the market later this year with a similarly wide foldable.Asked what sets the Galaxy Z8 series apart from its rivals and whether Samsung was confident it could defend its No. 1 position, Roh pointed to the durability, product refinement and foldable-optimized experience accumulated over eight generations.“Samsung has created and expanded the foldable category over eight generations,” he said. “The durability to withstand hundreds of thousands of folds, the level of product refinement and experiences optimized for foldables cannot be built overnight. That accumulated expertise is Galaxy’s greatest strength.”Roh said the addition of the Ultra, Fold and Flip models was an extension of that strategy, broadening consumer choice as Samsung seeks to bring foldables into more people’s daily lives and continue leading the market.The new foldables will go on sale in Korea and other major markets on Aug. 7, with Korean preorders running from July 28 through Aug. 3.