The summer is about to bring us a few exciting premium phone launches, starting with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 next month, followed by the Pixel 10 series in mid-August and the iPhone 17 in early September.
Unlike previous years, buyers looking to purchase expensive phones now have to worry about the impact of tariffs. As someone looking forward to the iPhone 17 Air, I’m also aware that US tariffs might force Apple to raise prices worldwide.
While uncertainty remains, we have an interesting development from Samsung. A new leak says the Korean giant doesn’t want to raise the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 prices in the US, where Samsung is also facing potential tariffs.
If that’s accurate, it’s great news for Samsung fans looking for a new foldable this year. It could also be good news for people excited about the iPhone 17 series. Samsung keeping last year’s prices might affect Apple’s potential plans for a price hike.
It’s an exciting year for Samsung foldable phone fans. If you’ve been following the rumors, you already know the Galaxy Z Fold 7 should be as thin as last year’s Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition model that Samsung sold in Korea and China.
Last year’s Fold 6 was already thinner than its predecessor, but the Fold 7 should be even slimmer. Also, the Galaxy Z Fold SE had a less pronounced crease in the middle of the screen, and that should carry over to the Fold 7.
Samsung is already posting teasers about the next era of Galaxy Z Fold design, as seen below. The phone will be unveiled during an Unpacked event in the coming weeks.
Strangely, Samsung calls this design “the next chapter of Ultra,” suggesting a potential name change. Calling a phone “Ultra” is a good marketing trick for raising the starting price.
A leaker said on X (via 9to5Google) that only a few countries will see price increases, while most markets will get prices similar to last year.
If that’s true, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (Ultra?) will start at $1,899 and the Flip 7 will start at $1,099.
I should point out that Samsung did raise foldable prices in previous years, before Trump’s tariffs were a factor.
iPhone 17 price scenarios
Trump threatened Apple with a 25% tariff on iPhones a few days ago. He said that Samsung and other smartphone vendors importing phones into the US might face the same tariffs. The alternative is manufacturing devices in the US, which is practically impossible.
Rumors say Apple is considering price hikes for the iPhone 17 series, but doesn’t want to tie them to tariffs. Unfortunately, any price hike this year will be linked to tariffs, no matter how Apple tries to justify the increase.
Apple hasn’t raised iPhone prices in years, despite constant rumors. The iPhone Pro Max is the only exception, and even then, Apple just eliminated the cheapest option.
A price hike wouldn’t be surprising after all this time, even without tariffs affecting the iPhone.
But if Samsung keeps the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 prices close to last year’s levels, Apple could be in a tough spot. Raising prices when competitors don’t might hurt demand in some countries. It’ll also be interesting to see what Google does with the Pixel 10 series launching this August.
What if tariffs hit phone vendors by the time Samsung, Google, and Apple launch their new phones, and Samsung chooses not to raise prices?
Apple could follow suit, absorb the cost, and hope for better times ahead. Another option is to pass only part of the tariff cost to consumers. In that case, Apple might choose to raise iPhone prices only in the US, where tariffs affect its margins, or globally.
That would let Apple spread the tariff cost across global iPhone buyers. It wouldn’t be ideal, but it would reduce the sticker shock. A smaller, across-the-board price increase could offset the tariff impact.
All of this is speculation based on an unconfirmed rumor. Once Samsung launches the 2025 foldables, we’ll have a better idea of what to expect in terms of smartphone price hikes. The Trump administration might also clarify its stance on taxing iPhone imports by then.
