[Anchor]
Samsung Electronics has thrown down the gauntlet in the global market by officially unveiling a new passport-sized foldable phone. However, due to soaring semiconductor prices, the highest-capacity model has exceeded 3 million won for the first time.
Reporter Park Jaehyeon has the story.
[Reporter]
A smartphone that fits in one hand, about the size of a passport.
When unfolded, it reveals a horizontally wide screen similar to a tablet.
This is the newly released "Galaxy Fold 8".
The 4-to-3 aspect ratio screen, introduced to a mobile phone for the first time, is optimized for browsing the internet, watching videos, or reading books.
With the conventionally vertical model being renamed the "Fold 8 Ultra," the lineup has been reorganized into three form factors: the horizontally folding Flip, the Fold, and the Fold Ultra.
[Noh Tae-moon / President and Head of DX Division, Samsung Electronics: "With up to the Fold 8, we have released three categories, so internally we view this as the completion of our foldable product lineup."] vak
Samsung stated that by applying new technologies, the chronic issue of crease lines on foldable phones has been significantly improved compared to its predecessor.
However, the factory prices have risen compared to the previous generation.
The prices for the highest-capacity 1TB models of the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra are 3.15 million won and 3.45 million won, respectively.
They have broken the 3 million won barrier for the first time.
The cause is the surging prices of DRAM and NAND flash storage used in mobile phones. DRAM prices have risen sixfold compared to the third quarter of last year, while NAND flash storage prices have surged ninefold.
The so-called "chipflation," where the recent surge in semiconductor prices drives up the cost of electronic devices, has begun in earnest.
[Kim Dae-hyun / College Student: "Since it is much more expensive than ordinary home appliances like refrigerators, the burden feels quite significant. Unless there is an immediate inconvenience in using it..."]
Amid Apple recently raising the prices of some products by up to 450,000 won, the price of its first foldable phone scheduled for release in the second half of the year is also projected to exceed 3 million won.
As the upward trend in semiconductor prices shows signs of prolonging, companies are grappling with deeper concerns over how to enhance performance while minimizing price increases.
(Photo courtesy of Lee Byung-ju | Video editing by Lee So-young | Design by Park Cheon-woong)
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