This is Samsung's most expensive phone to date. However, this isn't a device made by the company; it is a foldable smartphone that we built ourselves. Some time ago, we assembled an entire iPhone by piecing together every single component. Back then, you commented asking to see a Samsung phone being built in the same way. And just like that—we went ahead and built it.

However, we had no idea that this project would end up taking six months to complete. We started sourcing parts just a month after our previous video went live. Our first stop was Gaffar Market. We had successfully built an iPhone here before, but finding parts for the Samsung Fold proved to be a much more difficult task.

First, we inquired about the market rates. A Fold 5 (512GB) was going for ₹58,000, while a Fold 4 cost between ₹45,000 and ₹47,000. In other words, there wasn't a single foldable phone available for under ₹40,000. That’s when we realized—we would have to acquire the parts one by one.

We went from shop to shop asking around. We couldn't find a motherboard anywhere. Displays were available, but even just the inner display alone cost ₹30,000; the outer display was sold separately. Together, the pair would cost ₹35,000. One shopkeeper even told us, "Brother, you’d be better off just buying a brand-new phone; it would actually work out cheaper." The frame components alone were adding up to a staggering ₹70,000 to ₹80,000.

The motherboard had been the biggest hurdle when we were building the iPhone, and the situation was no different this time around. The cost of the display alone was enough to buy a second-hand Fold 4.

Eventually, we stumbled upon a shop where boxes were overflowing with spare parts for various brands—Vivo, Oppo, Samsung, and more. The main flex cable cost ₹1,000; the rear camera was ₹1,500; and the front camera was ₹1,000. We also discovered that the Fold 4 utilizes two batteries—one large and one small. The front display cost between ₹9,000 and ₹10,000, while the inner display was priced at ₹19,000 to ₹20,000. Yet, we still couldn't find a motherboard. It seemed no one in the market was selling them.

Since we couldn't find one locally, we placed an order through Alibaba. The motherboard cost ₹13,000, and the display was between ₹13,000 and ₹14,000. The parts arrived within a month.

And that is when the real work began. Building a foldable phone was a completely different experience compared to an iPhone. An iPhone has a single battery, a single camera, and a single display. Here, everything was doubled—two batteries, two camera modules, and two displays. Even the motherboard was split into two separate pieces. Samsung’s components were so incredibly thin that a standard phone battery looked massive in comparison.

I installed the vibrator, fitted the network antenna, and seated the USB Type-C port. Wherever I could find a spare nook, I tucked in a battery. Samsung manufactures 90% of its own components—the processor, the battery, the camera—everything. Even Apple purchases parts from them. Given that the company started with instant noodles and went on to build the Burj Khalifa, building a mere phone is hardly a daunting task for them.

I had to employ some clever engineering tricks. Fitting all those components into such a confined space was a real challenge. The last time I worked on an iPhone, I missed connecting a single connector, which resulted in the Wi-Fi and Face ID failing to work. This time, I was determined not to make any mistakes.

I connected the camera, the speakers, and the antenna wires—everything. While an iPhone uses four different types of screws, this device required only two: black ones for the motherboard, and standard ones for the rest of the phone assembly. I installed the rear cameras—the ultra-wide and the telephoto lenses. Once everything was connected, the phone appeared to be ready.

I attached the front display, positioned the wireless charging coil, and—before sealing it up with the back panel—I tried turning it on. And... nothing happened. The phone wouldn't boot up. I plugged it in to charge, but still, nothing. My heart sank. After hours of hard work, the phone was still dead.

I opened it back up and checked every single connector. It seemed the motherboard itself was defective. I had ordered it from Alibaba, and I couldn't risk getting another faulty part. So, I headed to the second-hand market. At a scrap dealer's shop, I found a battered, broken Fold 4. It was missing its cameras, but the motherboard was intact. I wasn't sure if it would work or not, but I bought it anyway.

I removed the old motherboard and installed the new one. I reconnected the wireless charging coil and the display. This time, when I tried to turn it on... nothing happened again. I tried once more. Suddenly, the Samsung logo appeared on the screen! The setup interface, the touchscreen—everything was working perfectly. The phone was finally fixed.

I quickly applied the adhesive and sealed the device by attaching the back panel. The frame was one color, the back panel another—everything had been cobbled together from different sources. Yet, the phone worked.

I tested the camera; it applied even more "beautification" effects than the Fold 7, making subjects look extremely fair. Portrait mode, the speaker, the fingerprint scanner, calls—everything ran buttery smooth. There was just one snag: the Wi-Fi wasn't working. Perhaps the connector hadn't been seated properly.

Total cost: ₹49,000. This is despite the fact that, in the second-hand market, a Fold 4 can be found for around ₹40,000–₹45,000. In other words, building it myself ended up costing both more money and more time.

With a Fold phone, the display alone accounts for 55% of the total cost. The display for this device costs as much as it took to build an entire iPhone last time around. That is precisely why Samsung's Fold phones are even more expensive than iPhones. There is simply a great deal packed inside this device that the iPhone did not have.