Samsung's offer of doubling free storage for preorders has ended in Austria, and the new promotion isn't as appealing.

      Samsung's promotion of double storage for free may be coming to an end.

      If you pre-ordered a Samsung foldable device mainly for the additional storage, you might feel disappointed with tomorrow's Unpacked event.

      For many years, anyone who pre-ordered a new Galaxy device received double the storage at no extra cost. For instance, purchasing a 128GB model meant you would actually get 256GB for the same price. This offer also applied to the 256GB and 512GB variants. However, this could change during the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.

      So, what is Samsung discontinuing?

      In a newsletter sent by Samsung Austria, the company announced it will no longer provide the free additional storage that customers have come to expect when pre-ordering a Galaxy flagship.

      This means that customers who pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 will not receive a complimentary storage upgrade as an incentive for reserving the new smartphones ahead of the general sale.

      This news is not entirely unexpected; an insider within the industry forecasted this outcome months ago, but seeing it officially confirmed feels like the end of a significant tradition.

      What will customers receive instead, and is it still worthwhile?

      Instead of the complimentary storage upgrade, Samsung Austria is opting for discounted upgrades. By selecting the 512GB model during pre-order, customers will receive a €100 discount, while opting for the 1TB version will get a €200 deduction.

      According to leaked pricing for Europe, these discounts are approximately half of what the storage upgrade would cost once the pre-order period closes. While it's still a benefit, it represents a notable reduction compared to obtaining double the storage for free.

      Samsung has not confirmed if this pricing structure will apply outside of Austria. However, considering the worsening global memory crisis and the fact that many companies, including Apple, have been passing on additional costs to consumers, it's uncertain whether Samsung US will adopt a similar approach.

      What options does Samsung have in the US?

      Samsung has two potential strategies to consider. First, it could absorb the increased material costs by decreasing its profit margins on the products while maintaining the free storage upgrade for US customers. Alternatively, it could find a compromise and offer discounts on higher storage models.

      Until official pre-order details for the US are revealed, these two approaches reflect the challenge of balancing profit margins with incentivizing customers.

      For over five years, Shikhar has consistently simplified developments in the field of consumer tech and presented them.

      Are bedtime stories eluding you? Meta has an AI designed to help kids sleep.

      The next task AI is taking over may be bedtime storytelling. The creativity required to entertain an overtired child can be overwhelming for many parents. Meta might have a solution. The company is working on StoryKit, a free iPhone app that creates personalized children's stories using AI. Meta confirmed that this app is currently being tested in select countries, including Mexico, while the US is not part of the trial. A wider release date has not yet been disclosed.

      TSMC may implement a price increase that could impact your next phone, laptop, or tablet.

      The potential 10% chip price hike from TSMC could directly affect the cost of your upcoming phone or laptop. The thought of "TSMC" and "price increase" in the same headline definitely raises concerns.

      The company that manufactures the chips for nearly every premier device, including Apple’s A-series and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, is reportedly about to raise its prices.

      Apple has addressed a bug in its Hide My Email feature that exposed real email addresses.

      A flaw in Apple's Hide My Email feature allowed real addresses to be revealed for over a year, as I reported in early July. Security researcher Tyler Murphy identified the issue in June 2025. However, despite Apple's claims of a fix in March 2026, independent tests indicated that the flaw remained exploitable, at least until July 3, 2026. How did this vulnerability work?