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Samsung is Beating Apple to its Next Phone Again

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TL;DR

Samsung's unveiling the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide on July 22nd in London, beating Apple's rumored wide folding iPhone to market — repeating the ultra-thin phone playbook.

Key Insights

1

Announce first, ship first — Samsung is purposely announcing folding phones before Apple launches competing rumors — they did this with the ultra-thin S25 Edge, beating iPhone Air speculation by months.

2

Ultra but cheaper — The S27 Pro is basically an Ultra without the S Pen at a lower price, similar to how Cadillac's Vistique offers the Escalade's size without the massive battery weight and cost.

3

Prices up $40 to $280 — Samsung raised prices on Z Fold 7 by $80, pushing the 1TB model to $2,500, and is now jacking up tablet and mid-range phone prices by $40 to $280 citing global memory shortages.

Deep Dive

Samsung's July 22 Fold 8 Wide announcement in London

According to a South Korean publication, Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event lands July 22nd in London, where they'll unveil the Z Fold 8 Wide. This move mirrors their ultra-thin phone strategy from last year — Samsung announced the S25 Edge months before Apple's iPhone Air rumors even solidified, cementing 'first to announce' as a competitive advantage. The Z Fold 8 Wide follows the same formula. Alongside the Wide, expect the standard Fold 8 (likely featuring the super-thin design seen in the Fold 7) and the new S27 Pro, which slots between the standard S27 and S27 Ultra. Samsung also re-released the discontinued trifold to the US market for limited stock, adding another card to their folding phone hand.

S27 Pro explained: Ultra without the S Pen

The S27 Pro is Samsung doing what Samsung does best — offering a phone for every possible buyer. It's the same size as the S27 Ultra but removes the S Pen, shaving off cost without cutting screen size or core features. The analogy one host made stuck: it's the Cadillac Vistique of phones. Cadillac makes the Escalade IQ (massive battery, 9,000 pounds, $60k+) and the Vistique (same size, regular battery, $30k less). You get the three-row SUV without hauling 3,000 extra pounds. Samsung's doing the exact same thing here — if you want the Ultra's footprint but don't need the S Pen or its privacy display features, the Pro undercuts the Ultra's $1,200+ starting price, likely landing around $1,100. It's a margin play dressed up as segmentation.

Samsung's aggressive price hikes across the lineup

Samsung has quietly raised prices on almost every device except the standard S26 series and S26 Ultra — the phones carriers keep in stock and consumers actually know. The Z Fold 7 jumped $80 last week, making the 1TB model $2,500 and the 512GB model $2,200. Now they're hitting tablets and mid-range phones harder: the S11 Ultra tablet jumped $280 (from $1,619 to $1,899), with across-the-board increases ranging from $40 to $280. Samsung CEO TM Roh cited an inevitable global memory shortage forcing price increases. The strategy appears deliberate — they're protecting margins on lower-volume products (tablets, foldables, Pro variants) while keeping flagship S-series pricing stable to avoid spooking carriers and mainstream buyers.

Memory shortage still pressuring costs despite some relief

While OpenAI's pullback on massive memory purchases initially signaled relief, industry contacts confirm the global memory shortage remains a major problem with only potential light at the tunnel's end. Samsung's internal divisions (Samsung Fab making memory, Samsung Electronics making phones) operate as effectively separate entities that don't always coordinate pricing or supply — similar to how LG Display and LG operate as completely unrelated companies. This structural inefficiency means even though Samsung manufactures the memory itself, its phone division still pays market rates, forcing price increases across the board. The hosts noted the variability of supply is as problematic as the shortage itself, and disruptions could shift circumstances overnight.

Takeaways

  • ✓Watch the July 22nd London event for the Z Fold 8 Wide's actual specs — Samsung's using announcement timing as a competitive weapon against Apple's rumored folding phone.
  • ✓If you're considering an S27 Ultra, the S27 Pro undercuts it by $100+ without sacrificing screen size — you're only losing the S Pen and privacy display, which aren't used by every Ultra buyer.
  • ✓Check your local Samsung pricing on tablets and mid-range phones before the rumored price increases hit — they've been rolling out regionally and quietly.

Key moments

0:01Z Fold 8 Wide date announced

“According to a South Korean publication, the next Galaxy Unpacked will be July 22nd in London where they will unveil the Z Fold 8 Wide”

1:35S27 Pro as Cadillac Vistique analogy

“The first thing I thought of when I saw this is this is the Cadillac Vistique of smartphones. You still get the three row SUV, but you don't have to carry around 3,000 extra pounds of battery and spend the extra however many thousands it costs.”

6:29Z Fold 7 and tablet price spikes

“The ZFold 7 last week already had its price increased by about $80 across models, which makes the 1 TB model $2,500. The S11 Ultra tablet went from $1,619 to $1,899, a $280 jump.”

8:00Memory shortage pressures remain

“There was a thing with like OpenAI didn't actually purchase all the memory and it started to go down a little bit, but apparently it's still a major problem.”

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