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Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite with $1,100 price and some downgrades possibly in the works

By Joshua Swingle

Published: May 12, 2020, 1:30 PM

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Samsung Android

Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite with $1,100 price and some downgrades possibly in the works

The OG Samsung Galaxy Fold

The Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 is now only three months away from its unveiling but a new rumor courtesy of Max Weinbach suggests the company may also be working on a significantly cheaper model that will skip on most fancy extras.

No ultra-thin glass and a smaller external display

The product in question, which could end up being marketed as the ‘Galaxy Fold Lite 4G,’ is rumored to feature a mix of parts sourced from older and newer smartphones launched between 2018 and 2020.

There is no word yet on the size or specifications of the display, but Samsung is said to be keeping costs down by skipping the ultra-thin glass introduced on the Galaxy Z Flip. That means the Galaxy Fold Lite should feature a plastic screen like the original Fold.

Sitting alongside it should be a small external display. Exact details are unavailable, but it may resemble the one seen on the Galaxy Z Flip rather than the Galaxy Fold’s much bigger implementation.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip's external display

Sandwiched between the front and rear displays will be an aluminum frame. The external portion of the Galaxy Fold Lite is apparently going to be carved out of glass, which should enable support for wireless charging.

Possibly the Snapdragon 865 but no 5G

On the inside of the Galaxy Fold Lite is said to be the high-end Snapdragon 865 that is already used by the Galaxy S20 Ultra. The latter is one of the fastest chipsets on the market and should, therefore, provide a brilliant experience.

Despite the presence of a 5G modem as standard, though, the information points towards a lack of support for the next-generation mobile networks. Samsung might be planning to disable the feature in software or it could have chosen a different chipset.

Max Weinbach himself warns that he is “unsure” about the processor, so there is certainly a chance the Snapdragon 865 info might be wrong. There is no word on what other chipsets the Galaxy Fold Lite might use if that were the case, but the older Snapdragon 855 that is featured inside the Galaxy Z Flip is certainly a candidate.

The OG Samsung Galaxy Fold

Regardless, it should be paired with 256GB of internal storage and hopefully at least 8GB of RAM, although the latter remains unconfirmed at this stage.

Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite price and announcement date

The Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite, which is codenamed ‘Winner2,’ will reportedly be made available internationally when unveiled. There is no firm announcement or release date just yet, but it could debut alongside the Galaxy Fold 2 and Galaxy Note 20 series in early August.

It should be sold in Mirror Black and Mirror Purple, and pricing will reportedly start at $1,099 in the United States making it the cheapest foldable smartphone by far. It would also become one of the cheapest Samsung flagships available at the moment.

For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S20 retails at $999 in the United States and the larger Galaxy S20+ costs $1,199. The Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy S20 Ultra, on the other hand, are available starting at $1,380 and $1,399 respectively.

The OG Samsung Galaxy Fold

As for the original Samsung Galaxy Fold, that smartphone costs a whopping $1,980 and even the newer Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to cost at least $1,780.