In summary:
- Tech Advisor reports that the Samsung Galaxy A07 5G is expected to launch at ₹15,999, representing a nearly 40% price increase over its predecessor.
- Rising memory chip costs driven by the AI boom are forcing price hikes even on budget smartphones with traditionally tight profit margins.
- This trend suggests that affordable phones are no longer immune to component cost pressures affecting the entire smartphone market.
After numerous reports claiming that smartphones are going to get more expensive in 2026, a fresh Samsung Galaxy A07 5G leak suggests that budget phones won’t be immune to such financial pressure.
After Xiaomi President Lu Weibing suggested that flagship phone prices were going to get more expensive in 2026, and Nothing CEO Carl Pei indicated that the same would hold true for mid-range phones, you might well have been eyeing up our list of the best budget phones on the market.
However, a new claim from Abhishek Yadav suggests that entry-level phones will not escape the expected 2026 price hike epidemic.
The tipster claims to have obtained Indian market pricing for the Samsung Galaxy A07 5G from the company’s internal communication with retail partners. Samsung’s new entry-level smartphone option will apparently start from ₹15,999 (about £126).
That might not sound expensive, but it represents an almost 40% rise on the price of Samsung Galaxy A06 5G, which launched at ₹11,499 in 2025.
Early indications suggest that the Samsung Galaxy A07 5G is not packing in a bunch of radical upgrades that might justify that price increase.
We’re looking at an IPS LCD display, a humble MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor, an admittedly chunky 6000mAh battery, 25W wired charging, and a solitary 50Mp rear camera, with an 8Mp selfie cam around front.
Rather, it’s the now-familiar spectre of rising memory chip prices – prompted by the AI boom – that’s to blame.
Will the Samsung Galaxy S26 be more expensive too?
As SammyGuru points out, there’s still some hope for potential Samsung Galaxy S26 buyers. Cheap phones operate at much tighter margins than flagships, which means that manufacturers are less able to absorb component cost spikes.
Earlier in the month we reported on the news that the Samsung Galaxy S26 would be receiving a price hike, but only in certain markets. The US market, for example, would retain the same pricing as the Samsung Galaxy S25.
Fingers crossed that the European market will receive a similar stay of execution from Samsung.
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.