Foldable Galaxy X Will Cost Over $1,800 (Report)

And you thought the $1,000 iPhone X was pricey. According to a new report, Samsung's first foldable phone, the Galaxy X, will cost a pretty penny when it's introduced next year.

Photo Credit: Samsung Concept

(Image credit: Photo Credit: Samsung Concept)

As reported by The Korea Times, the head of research at Golden Bridge Investment claims that the Galaxy X could cost as much as 2 million won without a carrier subsidy, which would come out to about $1,841 in today's U.S. dollars.

For those scoring at home, this total would not only blow away the super premium iPhone X but also the upcoming holographic and modular Red Hydrogen One Phone, which starts at $1,295 but goes up to $1,595 for the titanium version.

So why so much dough? As the Korea Times reports, the 4.5-inch device would unfold to reveal a massive 7.3-inch OLED display. And the 5.8-inch OLED panel on the iPhone X is often cited as one of the reasons that handset is so expensive. When you have two OLED screens on the same device, you can see how the costs could skyrocket.

MORE: Samsung Galaxy X Rumors: Everything You Need to Know

The Galaxy X could also be positioned as a laptop replacement, depending on what other features Samsung includes.

To be fair, it looks like we are still many months away from a possible Galaxy X release, and the U.S. pricing could be quite different than what Samsung may charge overseas. But given the complexities of making a foldable phone, this price tag isn't all that far fetched.

A separate analyst at Shinhan Financial says that "parts affiliates and first-tier subcontractors will begin supplying parts to Samsung Electronics' handset division beginning in November, at the earliest, with the company assembling the phone aiming for a launch next year."

Other recent Galaxy X reports point to Samsung launching the device at CES 2019 this year and putting the device on sale sometime after that. However, this new Korea Times report indicates that this could be a soft launch, as the paper claims that Samsung will only show a prototype to U.S. and European carriers in private meetings at the event.

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.