New Delhi: Samsung’s major ‘Unpacked’ event is just a day away, but it appears that pricing details have surfaced ahead of schedule. A new leak from Europe suggests that the prices of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 could be significantly higher than those of previous models, raising questions about whether similar price hikes will occur in India. Given these leaks and recent trends, it seems unlikely that last year’s pricing will apply this time around.
What exactly does the European leak reveal?
These figures come from a retailer in Portugal that appears to have published its product listings prematurely. It is worth noting that Portugal imposes a 23% VAT on electronics, resulting in higher prices compared to the rest of Europe; this factor should be considered before assuming these figures apply universally.
According to the listings, the Z Flip 8 will be available in two storage variants—256GB and 512GB—priced at approximately ₹1,48,000 and ₹1,71,000, respectively. Meanwhile, the Z Fold 8 is expected to come in three variants: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Reports indicate that prices will start around ₹2,28,000, rise to ₹2,50,000 for the mid-tier model, and reach ₹2,94,000 for the 1TB version.
There is also speculation that Samsung might finally launch an “Ultra” version of the Fold. If the leaked information proves accurate, that model could cost approximately ₹22,000 more than the standard Fold 8, regardless of the chosen storage capacity.
What does this mean for India?
Nothing is certain regarding pricing in India yet, but the indications are not very promising. The base model (12GB+256GB) of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 launched in India at ₹1,74,999; if the price hike seen in Europe is any indication, the Fold 8 could approach the ₹2,00,000 mark. However, one must be cautious about placing too much weight on European figures—prices there are almost always higher than in India due to tax differences, so a direct currency conversion isn’t an accurate way to estimate the actual price in India.
That said, a price hike wouldn’t come out of nowhere. Samsung has already raised prices for several products in India this year—most recently for the Galaxy Tab S lineup—and even the newly launched Galaxy M47 saw a price change just days after hitting the market.
Samsung isn’t the only company doing this; Apple, OnePlus, Nothing, and Realme have also raised their prices in recent months, primarily due to the rising cost of components. Given this trend, it would be truly surprising if the Fold 8’s price remained the same as last year’s.
The same leaked listing also offers a glimpse of Samsung’s upcoming wearables. The 40mm Bluetooth version of the Galaxy Watch 9 is expected to start at around ₹45,000, while the 44mm model is likely to be priced at approximately ₹48,000—with an additional ₹5,500 or so if you opt for the LTE version. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is expected to launch at around ₹83,000.
