The Galaxy Fold is not a small investment. At $1,980 to start, it's two to three times the price of a normal smartphone.
Smartphones are already extraordinarily expensive right now, and that's mainly due to the one-upsmanship between Apple, Samsung, and other tech giants to make the best phones each year. It's a yearly competition that's gotten more intense since the $1,000 iPhone X was unveiled in 2017.
Not only is the Galaxy Fold a lot of money up front for a smartphone — but repairs could turn out to be just as costly.
We have no idea about the repair process for the Galaxy Fold just yet, but there's a lot that could go wrong.
Its front screen, inside display, or its hinge, could break. One of its five cameras could malfunction. And if any of those things go wrong, it's unclear what the next steps will be for customers.
Samsung doesn't have the same kind of retail footprint that Apple does, so it will most likely mean mailing in your device for repairs.
Are you willing to pay $2,000 for a phone that, if it breaks, you could potentially be without for several weeks?
Also, would you be ready to pay the hefty cost of the repairs themselves? Given all of the new technology in this phone, replacement parts will likely not come cheap.
Here’s how much Samsung charges for repairs on its current phones, if they're out of warranty — but expect steeper pricing for the Galaxy Fold.
Source: Samsung
You could also enroll in Samsung's version of AppleCare, called Premium Care, which costs $12 a month. With that, repairs for accidental damage will cost only $99 on current phones, but it's unclear if prices will change for the pricier Galaxy Fold.
Source: Samsung