The Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 are just two weeks away from their debut in South Korea. Although Unpacked will take place in Samsung's homeland for the first time, the upcoming foldable phones should become available for pre-order in most markets on the same day the event takes place — July 26. And now, someone claims to have learned the launch prices for Europe. Or, more specifically, France.
Samsung is expected to offer the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options. And according to Dealabs, the 256GB variant in France will cost €1,199, while the 512GB model will set customers back €1,339. There's no information on the 128GB model, but this alleged leak suggests that the launch price will be slightly higher than usual.
Similarly, the rumor says the 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB Galaxy Z Fold 5 will cost €1,899, €2,039, and €2,279, respectively. Again, the report suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will get a price bump in Europe. Or at least in France compared to other markets.
Is the market forcing Samsung's hand to increase foldable phone prices?
Samsung fought to lower foldable phone prices every year. In time, it succeeded in lowering the entry price to its Galaxy Z Flip series while avoiding pricing the Galaxy Z Fold lineup higher. But Samsung is virtually alone in this.
Year by year, OEMs from China, and now even Google, priced their foldable phones in Europe higher than Samsung. Huawei recently announced its Mate X3 for a whopping €2,200, and Google's first Pixel Fold in Europe costs €1,899. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 was released for €1,799.
It's almost as if Samsung is the only one trying to lower foldable phone prices, but whether or not the company will give up on this goal and join the market trend this year is to be determined.
On one hand, the alleged prices listed above might be sourced by a third-party retailer, and such sources often list upcoming devices for a higher price than the official one. So there is a high probability that these prices are not quite accurate and that Samsung will sell its upcoming foldable phones for less.
Then again, it's possible that Samsung may have given up on fighting foldable phone prices all by itself and may have decided to fall in line with other OEMs. We'll find out more on or before July 26.
