Samsung is preparing for a price hike across its India portfolio next month, spanning across the entry-level Galaxy A and M series phones to its flagship foldables, as the memory-cost squeeze that has already reshaped pricing at the bottom of the market begins to catch up more aggressively with the premium end, according to sources aware of the discussions.
The newly launched Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8, currently priced between Rs 1.25 lakh and Rs 2.6 lakh, are learnt to be headed for a price correction of 8 to 20 per cent, with the revised price list expected to kick in during the first week of September. Sources indicate the foldable hike is expected to arrive alongside fresh revisions across Samsung’s budget and mid-tier lines, making this one of the broadest price actions the company has taken in India this year. Talks around the hike are said to be at an advanced stage within Samsung India’s boardrooms, as the company works out how much of the rising cost it can continue to absorb before passing it on to buyers.
Premium brands have so far weathered the industry’s cost pressures far better than the rest of the market. IDC data shows Samsung and Apple were the only major smartphone makers to grow shipments in India through the April-June quarter, even as the overall market contracted 11%, given stronger brand equity, wider financing options and less dependence on price-sensitive, entry-level buyers.
Meanwhile, Counterpoint research has suggested that the sub-Rs 15,000 segment’s share of India’s smartphone market fell from nearly 46% in Q2 2025 to 27% in Q2 2026, with volumes in that band down 47% year-on-year. Counterpoint’s senior research analyst Prachir Singh said the shift has left the market ‘increasingly value led rather than volume led’ with the overall average selling price climbing from around Rs 25,500 to Rs 30,000 over the same period even as overall shipments fell.
Sources have said that the rupee’s continued slide against the dollar, and a sharp, sustained rise in global memory chip prices had led to the increase in the upcoming price hikes for the company. Both pressures have squeezed smartphone makers worldwide through 2026, and Samsung, itself a major memory chip maker, has not been insulated from the swing.
The company has so far tried to shield Indian buyers from the full brunt of these costs. At the London Unpacked event where the new foldables were unveiled, Samsung’s President and CEO for Southwest Asia, JB Park, said the company had been absorbing a large share of the increase itself, describing the scale of the burden this year as ‘humongous.’ He added that Samsung’s price hikes have stayed comparatively smaller than rivals’ precisely because of this cushioning, one that now appears to be wearing thin.
Even so, analysts say Samsung has more room than most rivals to absorb rising costs before it needs to pass them on in full. That cushion hasn’t stopped Samsung from continuing to raise prices lower down its lineup. The company hiked prices across the Galaxy M and F series for the ninth time in eight months this week, according to reports.
Recently, OnePlus raised prices for the fifth time in nine months, revising rates on eight models by 5 to 26% since December 2025, while OPPO lifted prices across its Reno and A-series lineups.
Across the premium segment, the foldables have had a strong start in India. Samsung said close to 2.71 lakh units were pre-booked within 72 hours of launch, helped along by design upgrades and a deeper set of Galaxy AI features.
IDC senior research manager for India and South East Asia, Upasana Joshi, said this year’s growth has been ‘squarely premiumisation led, not unit led,’ with volumes falling even as value rose on higher average selling prices. She added that demand has held up best in the mid-to-premium bands, while the entry-level tier has been the clear laggard.
The timing adds to the pressure on buyers. Festive-season sales have traditionally leaned on discounts to drive upgrades, but with component costs still elevated, brands are expected to have far less room this year for the price cuts that typically accompany the quarter.
Samsung is yet to officially confirm the revised pricing.