Rising component prices forced Samsung to raise phone prices in several regions, and repair costs are climbing too. In its home country of South Korea, Samsung has increased the price of repair materials for smartphones by an average of 5%.

Home appliance materials rose 9% on average. The average smartphone repair job now costs KRW 11,000 more, roughly $7.37. About 80% of the expense comes from replacement parts; labor and service fees stay unchanged.

A Samsung Electronics Service official said, "Material costs have risen, leading to an unavoidable price increase. Labor and service fees remain the same as before." LG Electronics plans to keep appliance repair costs flat for now, though it no longer makes phones.

The rise is tied to raw material price surges, with copper and gold climbing due to Middle East instability. One unnamed manufacturer told Korea’s Ministry of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Startups that raw material prices surged by approximately 60% in the first half of the year.