Samsung is one of the key innovators in the global mobile industry, just like rivals Huawei, Apple, LG and others. Bringing new technology and driving disruption is what keeps this brands ahead of each other. Soon, Samsung could lead this segment by bringing the long-rumored foldable smartphone to the market, but at a ridiculously high price tag.
Industry analysts had estimated the price of Samsung's foldable smartphone, the Galaxy F, to cost around $1,500 and new evidence is suggesting a much higher price tag. South Korea-based research firm CGS-CIMB Research revealed Samsung Galaxy F's BOM (Bill of Material) cost, which also includes the final retail price along with profit margin that matches Apple.
According to the report, Samsung Galaxy F could arrive at a retail price of $1,800, which is almost twice as much the current Galaxy S9+ flagship. The BOM cost of the Galaxy F is said to be $636.7, which is around 65 percent more than the iPhone XS Max and Samsung Galaxy S9+. The profit margin for the Galaxy F is 65 percent, which matches Apple and is 10 percent higher than Galaxy S9+.
The BOM cost doesn't include other costs like advertising, assembly and shipping. Also, the costliest component used in the Galaxy F is naturally the display, priced at $218.8, which is almost twice as much as the display cost of iPhone XS Max and nearly 3x more than that of Galaxy S9+.
Samsung Galaxy F is expected to feature a 7.3-inch display that folds in the middle to turn into a 4.58-inch screen. Rumours have suggested that the handset will carry a massive 5,000mAh or even a 6,000mAh battery unit.
Samsung Galaxy F, despite its premium price tag, will attract attention seeing as it will be a proper foldable smartphone that won't look odd. This is just going to mark the beginning of a trend. Analysts expect the sales of foldable smartphones to be about 3.5 million next year. The number will spike to 24 million by 2022.
With increased sales and competition, the cost of foldable phones will witness a noticeable drop to around $1,300 in average, GizmoChina reported.
