Pay up or stop dreaming: Samsung says it won't make a cheap foldable phone
Rumors of an affordable foldable Galaxy phone have been shot down again, this time by none other than Samsung.
Even though bendable phones still make up a small fraction of the broader market, it's the only category that's growing. Samsung is the market leader but its foldable phones are quite expensive, starting at $999.99 for the clamshell Flip 5 and $1,799.99 for the book-style Fold 5.
At $699, Motorola's Razr 2023 is the most affordable foldable phone available in the US and a recent report said that Samsung could release a foldable phone priced between $400 and $500 in 2024.
This report was met with a little skepticism, with people wondering whether it was even possible for Samsung to cut the price by half. You see, manufacturing a stripped-down foldable phone is not as straightforward as making a phone like the Galaxy S23 FE, as foldable phones are expensive for a reason.
Foldable phones consist of premium parts such as a flexible screen and hinge and involve complex engineering and a lot of research and development. Since sales still haven't increased to a point where manufacturers can enjoy economies of scale and lower prices, it's going to be incredibly hard for companies to come out with cheaper models. Samsung definitely isn't going to do that anytime soon.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Samsung has denied rumors that it will release a mid-tier foldable phone.
We don't plan to manufacture foldable smartphones that are priced in the midrange, and the latest rumors are groundless." - Samsung Electronics spokesperson.
There's still a little glimmer of hope for a Fan Edition model though with Samsung saying that "there's nothing decided on the matter."
A Samsung exec had recently hinted that the company had no plans to release an affordable phone in the foreseeable future. Whether that's the right decision is another story.
Chinese company Tecno has already released a $600 flip phone in some markets. Huawei might release an affordable foldable phone next year. Samsung probably wants to continue positioning foldable phones as premium devices but this strategy is unlikely to help it meet its goal of selling 20 million bendable phones next year.
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