The Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be the phone that pushes prices too far

Summary

Samsung is rumored to be bringing S25 Ultra-level features to its next flagship foldable, the Z Fold 7. The device could be announced at an Unpacked event in early July.
The Z Fold 6 already starts near $2,000, so the Fold 7 could be astronomically expensive, particularly with US tariffs wreaking havoc on the world economy.
Samsung must learn from Apple’s mistake of overpricing products to ensure Z Fold 7’s success.

Samsung unleashed a small firestorm recently when it teased its next flagship foldable, presumably the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It used some unusual language in its press release, referring to “the next chapter of Ultra,” as well as bringing an “Ultra experience” to the product. That’s an obvious reference to phones like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which represent the absolute top-of-the-line when it comes to Samsung’s single-screen devices.

There’s still some controversy over whether there might be an Ultra tier of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, or whether the Fold 7 will simply include Ultra-style features. Samsung might also want to change up the device’s naming scheme, given that “Z Fold 7” isn’t exactly enthralling. The company’s already spreading its branding with the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

No matter what Samsung’s making, there’s a real chance that it will be a step too far for phone prices. The product’s success or failure is going to depend on how much executives are willing to compromise.

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An open silver Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 on a white table.

Currently, before any discounts, a 256GB configuration of the Z Fold 6 is $1,900. That’s difficult for most people to justify, considering not just the cost of rent, food, and utilities, but the other tech devices you can afford with that money. You could, for example, buy a gaming-quality laptop, or a well-equipped MacBook Pro, and both would accomplish a lot more than running Bluesky and YouTube side-by-side. Heck, if you bought an entry-level laptop like the MacBook Air, you’d have the cash leftover for a budget phone too.

As things are, the Fold 6 still makes some compromises, believe it or not. Its cameras, for instance, aren’t on par with the S25 Ultra, which has far sharper primary (200-megapixel) and zoom (50-megapixel) sensors. It’s also less dust-resistant, which means you really shouldn’t have it out during a beach or desert outing. There’s a real risk that sand grains will sneak in through the hinge and damage internal components.

On a technical level, it’s good news that the two devices might achieve closer parity. But it’s hard to imagine how the Z Fold 7 could cost anything less than $2,000, given higher parts costs and the ongoing US trade war. For most people, that’s an eye-watering sum, even if it might allow you to merge a phone and tablet into a single purchase. You could buy a (base) Galaxy S25 and a Galaxy Tab S10 and still slide under the $2,000 mark.

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Market turmoil could force prices even higher, and that’s without adding extra storage options and accessories into the mix. A 512GB Z Fold 6 is $2,020, and there’s a $2,260 1TB option for the truly hardcore (or insane). Conceivably, you could be looking at spending $2,400 or more on a fully-equipped Z Fold 7. $2,500 isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

I can’t imagine most shoppers being willing to follow Samsung down that path, let alone be able to in a tariff-battered economy.

Unfortunately for Samsung, there’s no infinite ceiling on what people are willing to pay, regardless of whether they’re targeting a “premium” demographic. $2,000 isn’t an impulse purchase for anyone but the rich, and at some point, even they might start to question if they’re getting real value. For the rest of us, the Z Fold 7 could end up feeling like a Lamborghini Countach. That is, something nice to dream about, but not a product we’d ever be in a position to own.

One way or another, Samsung seems likely to smash through industry pricing norms, which have so far kept things under $2,000 as long as you don’t go hog-wild on storage. I can’t imagine most shoppers being willing to follow Samsung down that path, let alone be able to in a tariff-battered economy.

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It’s reasonable to doubt the likelihood of failure here, considering that even Samsung probably isn’t forecasting huge sales numbers. It is possible, however, and all you have to look at is Apple’s first entry into the AR and VR fields, the Vision Pro.

By all accounts, the headset is extremely impressive at what it does. Movies, shows, games, and even photos are incredibly immersive, and most everything can be controlled with hand gestures alone. If you’ve got a Mac, the Vision Pro can simulate a gigantic ultra-wide display, potentially saving you cash on a multi-monitor setup. Not that you necessarily need one — native apps and a keyboard may be all you need to get some light work done.

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The issue is that before its launch, Apple wildly overestimated how much people were willing to pay. The cheapest configuration is $3,500, and sure enough, sales have reportedly fallen below Apple’s expectations, leading to slashed production quotas. I’m not sure what Apple was thinking. The most popular VR headset on the market — the Meta Quest 3 — accomplishes much of what the Vision Pro does for $3,000 less. Some people are willing to pay extra for the best of the best, but every company has to meet consumers where they live, not where they’d like them to be.

Hopefully Samsung is aware of this. If it is, it may be doing whatever it can to keep Z Fold 7 prices clos to those of the Fold 6, taking advantage of its dealmaking clout and economies of scale. It may also be more willing than some to sacrifice profit margins. Apple is notoriously obsessed with margins, if you didn’t know, which may explain not just the Vision Pro, but things like the iPhone 16 lacking a 120Hz display when many Android phones have had one for years.

We’ll have to wait for Samsung’s full announcement to learn its intent, it seems like, with rumors pointing to an early July event in New York City. Even Samsung may not know how it’s going to price things yet, however. The policies of the Trump administration are always shifting, so the company could just as easily be slammed by massive tariffs as rescued by a trade deal. I wouldn’t want to be a Samsung executive at the moment.