Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) has raised the factory prices of select high-storage smartphone models as "chipflation" — rising prices of key semiconductors including memory chips — accelerates.
According to industry sources on Sunday, Samsung increased the prices of the 512GB models of the Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Fold7, foldable smartphones launched in July last year. The Flip7 512GB rose from 1,643,400 won to 1,738,000 won, and the Fold7 512GB from 2,537,700 won to 2,632,300 won — each up by 94,600 won. The Fold7 1TB model climbed from 2,933,700 won to 3,127,300 won, a 193,600 won increase.
The Galaxy S25 Edge 512GB model, released in May last year, also rose by 110,000 won from 1,639,000 won to 1,749,000 won.
Samsung appears to have excluded the more popular 256GB models to ease the burden on consumers, adjusting prices only for the 512GB and 1TB high-storage models where component cost pressures are relatively greater. The Galaxy S26 series, launched last month, is not under consideration for a price increase at this stage given its recent release, according to sources.
The price hikes result from rising costs of core components such as memory semiconductors, compounded by a weaker won. "Over the past several years, we have maintained a price freeze in the domestic market to minimize the burden on customers despite adverse conditions including exchange rate increases," Samsung said. "However, as changes in the international landscape have driven simultaneous increases in exchange rates and prices of core components such as memory semiconductors, we were inevitably compelled to raise prices."
According to market research firm TrendForce, general-purpose DRAM prices in the first quarter of this year rose approximately 90–95% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, while NAND flash prices climbed 55–60% over the same period.
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