[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] An analysis says Samsung’s across-the-board $100 price increase for its latest foldable smartphones and premium products is intensifying pressure for price rises across the smartphone industry. The industry is discussing the possibility that Google and Apple could make similar moves. It also raises concerns that consumers’ replacement cycles could lengthen further.

According to IT outlet Engadget on July 23, Samsung recently raised prices by $100 across its latest foldable flagship and ultra-premium products.

The price adjustment is significant because it is not limited to Samsung products alone. By lifting the benchmark for premium smartphone pricing again, Samsung could put other manufacturers under pressure to raise prices, the outlook said.

Engadget said consumer burdens have increased, but given the AI boom and rising component prices, it was rather fortunate that the increase was limited to $100. It added that the AI boom is sustaining a trend in which product value and prices rise together.

Google is cited as next. The industry is raising the possibility that the price of the next Pixel smartphone could rise by at least $100. For consumers, using 12-month or 24-month instalment plans could reduce the perceived burden, but the actual purchase cost will inevitably increase, it said.

Apple is also being discussed as a candidate for price rises. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has previously raised prices across several product lines after making comments to the effect that it would be difficult to maintain current price levels. That has led to forecasts that a similar pricing policy could be applied to the next-generation iPhone to be released this autumn.

Some see Apple’s strategy of splitting the iPhone 18 series launch into two phases as potentially linked to pricing policy. In that case, one scenario under discussion is releasing the expensive iPhone Fold and Pro models first, while rolling out the standard iPhone 18 and an entry-level model after the year-end shopping season.

The impact of price increases is also showing up in consumer buying behaviour. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, energy prices rose 15.7 percent over the past 12 months. As living costs rise, consumers are tending to use existing devices longer rather than buying new products.

A real-world example has also been confirmed. Game console maker Valve stopped selling an entry-level Steam Deck model that was priced at $399 in May this year, and raised prices for the mid-range and high-end models to $789 from $549 and to $949 from $649, respectively.

Market research firm BoilingSteam analysed that Steam Deck sales fell 82 percent after the price increase. The case shows that price rises can do more than improve profitability and can weaken demand itself.

A similar trend is being detected in the smartphone market. In a survey conducted by IT outlet 9to5Mac, 38 percent of respondents said they plan to keep using their smartphones longer because of higher prices.

Market research firm IDC also forecast that smartphone price increases could lead to declining sales for the remainder of this year and through 2027. It warned that if memory supply shortages persist, the smartphone market could record historically low sales volumes.

The industry sees Samsung’s latest price increase as going beyond a simple adjustment for new products and affecting the overall pricing strategy of the premium smartphone market. If Google and Apple move in a similar direction, consumers’ burden will grow further, and manufacturers will be expected to face new choices between a high-price strategy and maintaining sales volumes.