Samsung just unveiled new models of its foldable phones at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, and the price tags are doing their own flex. The Galaxy Z Flip 8, Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra will be available on Aug. 7. Prices start at a whopping $1,200 for the base model of the Flip 8, $100 more than the original price of the Galaxy Z Flip 7. The Z Fold 8 Ultra, which is new to Samsung’s lineup, starts at a jaw-dropping $2,100.
The Z Fold 8 does bring a bigger battery, camera upgrades and a Flex Window for quick access without opening the phone, but these devices still demand cautious handling and come with durability trade-offs.
We’re told to expect premium prices for more “advanced” smartphones every year, but that doesn’t make the sticker shock any easier to swallow. So the real question is: Why are we paying more now for a phone that still asks us to baby it?
I’m blaming the artificial intelligence gold rush. The RAM shortage, aka RAMageddon, is pushing companies to increase device prices. The memory chip shortage is due to AI data center demands, which has a trickle-down effect to companies that rely on memory chips for devices. Tech companies, like Samsung, have their own AI features and demands, too.
The new Galaxy Flip and Fold phones are filled with even more built-in AI features than before — which could be part of the reason the Galaxy phones cost more this year. And the peculiar (or just funny) part is that US adults aren’t big fans of AI, despite tech companies being all-in.
Samsung’s all about AI
Before now, Samsung Galaxy phones had several AI features like Transcript Assist, which turns your recordings into text and summarizes or translates them, and Photo Assist, which edits and perfects your photos.
On Wednesday, Samsung added several new AI-powered features to the new phones, including My FanCam, which uses AI to transform videos into any aspect ratio, like horizontal to vertical, by tracking a single person in a video clip of several people, such as in a basketball game.
Samsung also unveiled an update to Now Brief that lets you build custom reminders from connected apps, bringing all your personal updates into one spot. And Now Nudge automatically displays your multitasking tools based on your screen activity. If you’re planning a party, you’ll see the calendar to message friends about your availability. Or if you’re booking concerts, Galaxy AI can book concert tickets for you.
Samsung says its task automation features are now available in over 40 apps. Sounds convenient, but it could be a privacy and security nightmare, no matter how many safety measures Samsung has in place.
Like AI or not, you’re paying for it
A Pew Research Center study found that even though Americans are using AI more than before, we’re still skeptical of it. About half of US adults (49%) use chatbots — some daily. Yet, 40% believe using AI will have a negative impact on society, and 63% say AI is progressing too quickly.
No surprise: Samsung is forcing built-in personal AI features “tailored to your lifestyle,” and betting you’ll eventually love AI as much as its marketing team does. The catch? You’re funding that AI push directly through ever-higher device prices. In this period of record-high unaffordability, $2,000 is a staggering amount to drop on a phone you’re still expected to replace in two or three years.
There’s no immediate relief from the RAM shortage, so prices are likely to keep climbing. And companies like Samsung will continue to dress up these inflated prices with marketing slop about convenience, connectivity and having your device “do more for you.” You can ignore the flood of AI features if you want, but you’re paying for them either way.
The bottom line is that if we’re shelling out a small fortune for AI capabilities that most people don’t trust or even use, these new “AI smartphones” aren’t worth the premium.
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