Samsung Unveils Larger Foldable Phone, Raises Prices

Samsung Electronics unveiled a passport-sized foldable smartphone on Wednesday, raising prices on two new models of its foldable phones as it faces rising memory chip costs and prepares for a new threat from Apple in this specialized and growing sector.

The South Korean technology giant is the leader in the foldable smartphone market, but its dominance will face competition from Apple, which analysts expect to launch this year a foldable phone with a screen similar in size to the iPad Mini.

Samsung revealed the three new foldable Galaxy Z models during an event in London. The devices operate using Google’s Alphabet-owned Gemini artificial intelligence technology.

Samsung priced the passport-sized Galaxy Z Fold8 at $1,899, featuring a larger screen designed for users who spend significant time watching videos.

IDC projected that Samsung’s share of the global smartphone market will increase in 2026, despite the overall market expected to shrink by 14 percent, partly due to a shortage of memory chips.