Fadi Abu Shamat, Vice President and Head of Mobile eXperience Division, Samsung Gulf Electronics
As Samsung continues to push the boundaries of smartphones through foldable technology and artificial intelligence, the rising cost of flagship devices remains a key concern for consumers. In an exclusive interview with Arab Times, Fadi Abu Shamat, Vice President and Head of the Mobile eXperience Division at Samsung Gulf Electronics, discusses the company’s approach to pricing, the growing cost of components and AI development, and how Samsung plans to deliver greater value to loyal Galaxy customers. He also shares his outlook on the future of flagship smartphones and why he believes innovation must continue to outpace rising prices.
Arab Times: For loyal Samsung Galaxy customers who have purchased your phones for years but now find the latest models increasingly unaffordable, what would you say to them?
Fadi Abu Shamat: A premium device has to earn its place in people's lives, and that's exactly how we look at every generation of Galaxy. Our priority is always to deliver the best possible value to consumers, making sure each generation gives them improvements they can genuinely see, feel and use every day.
We're mindful that rising memory and component costs are an industry-wide reality right now, and that is a factor behind this year's pricing. But our response to that isn't to compromise on the experience – it's to keep pushing the technology forward and make sure the value we're adding is meaningful.
You can see that value across this year's lineup. The new Flex Titanium display structure gives a slimmer, more durable design with a noticeably reduced crease. Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra carries our largest-ever foldable battery at 5,000mAh alongside a 200MP main camera, and Galaxy AI is more capable and more personal than ever, with automation now supporting more than 40 apps and services.
Value is also about how easily consumers can access that innovation. That's why affordability is such an important part of how we go to market, through Trade-In, instalment plans, Buy Now Pay Later and our operator and banking partnerships. A loyal Galaxy customer isn't starting from zero when they upgrade; their existing device carries real value toward the next one.
So our approach is simple: keep raising the value of the device, and keep making the journey to owning one easier.
Arab Times: If this pricing trend continues, where do you see Galaxy flagship prices in five years?
Fadi Abu Shamat: Forecasting a flagship's price five years out misses the bigger question. The smartphone itself is changing, and so is the economics of building one.
AI is adding an entirely new layer to the product, touching processing, memory, software, services and the infrastructure behind the experience, while foldables bring their own new materials, display structures and manufacturing processes. The cost base is getting more complex, and expectations of a flagship keep rising with it.
Our focus is very clear: manage that pressure on supply and cost, but keep investing in the product. We cannot ask consumers to accept less innovation, and this generation is the proof point that we haven't. Preorders for the new Galaxy Z Series were up more than 30% globally, and in South Korea we saw a record 1.44 million preorders across Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip8 combined, demand strong enough that we increased manufacturing orders by an extra one million units in a single week to keep pace.
Consumers are also looking more closely at value over the full time they own a device: how long it gets software and security support, how well it holds value at trade-in, and how much better the AI experience gets over time. Those are the questions that will shape what people are prepared to pay.
So I wouldn't put a number on a Galaxy flagship in 2031. The real challenge, and the one we're focused on, is making sure innovation keeps moving faster than price.
