What you need to know
- Rumors claim that Samsung might not offer its free storage upgrade for its upcoming Galaxy foldables.
- This was offered to customers who pre-ordered devices, helping them to upgrade from a 256GB model to the 512GB model for free.
- A report claims that Samsung might have customers pay half the cost to upgrade to higher storage, and soaring memory prices might be the reason.
Future Samsung Galaxy customers might have a sour future ahead of them. Reports claim the company might not offer one of its sweetest upgrades.
The report surfaced from Chosun (Korean), which cites “industry sources” in stating Samsung might remove its free storage upgrade offering (via Android Authority). This upgrade was reserved for customers who pre-ordered an upcoming Galaxy device. Think Galaxy S25, S26, or Samsung’s upcoming foldables, which is what this rumor is focused on. The Korean publication claims that Samsung might remove its free storage upgrade for all pre-ordered Galaxy Z Flip 8s and Fold 8s.
Android Central’s Take
This sucks. Now, of course, this is a rumor, but for the sake of this little blurb, I’ll treat it as fact. This is a deal that many look forward to. Let’s be real, we’ve had this sweet offering for years now. To suddenly take it away hurts, especially if you were thinking, “Oh, I can get the upgrade and be fine.” I hope the rumor stays a rumor.
This storage upgrade would double what you previously selected. If you wanted to grab a 256GB Flip, Samsung would give you the 512GB version at no extra cost. However, the company might replace this free offer by pushing half of the storage upgrade cost onto you, the consumer.
We’ll have to wait and see how prices shake out for U.S. customers once the foldables are fully released (if this is true). Chosun’s sources reportedly highlight the only culprit anyone’s pointing fingers at nowadays: soaring memory prices. That’s where things get interesting.
Can’t have nice things
We’re already stir-crazy over price hikes. There were a few rumors that said the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra could cost $2,099 in the U.S. For reference, that’s $100 more than the Fold 7. The Fold 8, which might be the wide foldable we’ve been hearing about, could start at $1,899. Prices are all over the place, but the ongoing situation with AI taking up all the memory is real.
A research report was published earlier this week, citing another drop in the global smartphone market. For Q2 2026, the phone market fell by 4%, and Omdia places the blame squarely on soaring memory prices. It adds that the market might not recover in 2026, and the holiday season, which typically brings a surge, might not happen. In Q1, the U.S. phone market fell by 3%, so things have been bleak this year.
That’s not the only issue. These soaring memory prices might also claim budget phones as collateral. Researchers suspect that the budget phone market might fall by 22% as companies struggle to find a way to make a profit off such devices. We’re a week away from knowing for sure if Samsung’s free storage upgrade is gone or not. Samsung confirmed Galaxy Unpacked will take place in London, U.K., on July 22 at 9 am ET.