Samsung’s plans for free storage upgrades become clearer as Galaxy Z Fold 8 nears launch

It turns out the news isn’t all so bad. New reports from Samsung insiders claim the company might offer free storage upgrades for some models of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8, but there’s a small caveat for some storage variants.

An earlier report claimed Samsung would abandon the traditional “free storage upgrade” it’s offered for the last several years. In its place was rumored to be a new plan that made users pay just 50% of the upgrade cost. It’s not a true free jump from 256GB to 512GB, but it’s something.

Well, new reports add a little nuance to that claim. It’s, in part, true. Samsung does intend to make users pay 50% of the upgrade cost, but only for the jump from 512GB to 1TB. A more recent report from News1 in Korea says Samsung has decided to keep its free storage upgrade rules in place for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 when upgrading to 512GB from 256GB.

The free upgrade works like this: when picking out your Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Galaxy Z Flip 8 model on Samsung’s website, choose the 512GB version. That configuration will cost the same as the base 256GB Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Galaxy Z Flip 8.

For those who used the opportunity to get a 1TB model instead of the 512GB version, this is a huge blow. You’ll likely be paying 50% of that upgrade cost, even though it’s better than paying full price after the pre-order period.

Samsung reportedly made this decision after “careful consideration.” It’s possible that backlash over the decision grew enough to tip the scales for Samsung, even as device component costs skyrocket.

… after careful consideration, Samsung Electronics decided to maintain its pre-sales promotion. Samsung Electronics explained that this decision was made in consideration of the commitment to consumers and brand loyalty built over the years.

Samsung is also expected to increase its pricing structure for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, even if the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the only device technically getting a bump in price.

We’ll know within a matter of days as Galaxy Unpacked rolls around on July 22. Samsung has already opened reservations for a small credit for those who sign up. Who knows, maybe you’ll even win a gift card.