With a Galaxy Z Flip FE, Samsung could finally make foldables mainstream
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about Samsung possibly releasing a more budget-friendly version of its clamshell foldable phone – enter the Galaxy Z Flip FE. Just recently, a reliable source dropped the same hint, so when multiple insiders are saying it, you’ve got to think there’s something to it, right? And honestly, I really hope they’re on the money with this one.
The flip-style foldables are super tempting to me (I know, such a girl, right?) and seriously, I’ve been eyeing one. But let’s be real – the price tags on these things are kind of crazy (with a few exceptions). The latest Galaxy Z Flip 6 starts at $1,100 in the US, and it’s even more expensive in Europe.
And let’s be honest here – at that price, the specs just don’t blow me away. I could easily grab a much more powerful phone for less – without the whole foldable magic, of course. So, if these rumors hold true and Samsung does drop a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip FE, it’s definitely a smart move in my book.
Because let’s be real – there are folks like me who’d buy a flip foldable just for the sheer fun of it. If Samsung can bring the price down – think mid-range territory – I bet more people would dip their toes into the foldable trend. Plus, Samsung would be better positioned to take on its biggest rival in the field, Motorola, with its Razr series and fend off the growing competition from Chinese brands.
And let’s be honest here – at that price, the specs just don’t blow me away. I could easily grab a much more powerful phone for less – without the whole foldable magic, of course. So, if these rumors hold true and Samsung does drop a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip FE, it’s definitely a smart move in my book.
Why do I think it is a smart move?
Because let’s be real – there are folks like me who’d buy a flip foldable just for the sheer fun of it. If Samsung can bring the price down – think mid-range territory – I bet more people would dip their toes into the foldable trend. Plus, Samsung would be better positioned to take on its biggest rival in the field, Motorola, with its Razr series and fend off the growing competition from Chinese brands.
Take the Motorola Razr (2024) as an example. It starts at a much more wallet-friendly $699 compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and yet the differences aren’t earth-shattering. Probably the most notable edge Samsung has over Motorola here is the chipset – the Z Flip 6 rocks the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, while the Razr makes do with the mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 7300X. But hey, at $699, you can’t exactly complain, right?
And yes, the Razr series also has a pricier Plus version, which makes it all the more logical for Samsung to roll out a more affordable alternative.
If Samsung does roll out the Galaxy Z Flip FE, it could go head-to-head with the Razr series while also snagging a slice of the pie from rising Chinese brands like Honor, whose Magic V Flip starts at just $690.
The key to hitting that lower price point might lie in the chipset. Rumors suggest the Galaxy Z Flip FE could feature Samsung’s homegrown Exynos 2400e, the same processor powering the Galaxy S24 FE. Honestly, it makes perfect sense – why not use that chipset for the first budget-friendly flip foldable, too?
To wrap things up, a more affordable flip foldable could bring even more buyers into the Galaxy Z foldable lineup. It’d help Samsung compete with budget-friendly foldables and show that its innovative tech isn’t just reserved for those willing to pay premium prices.
When it comes to premium gadgets, foldable phones are still firmly in that category. They are not exactly budget-friendly, and let’s not even start on how pricey repairs can be. But ever since foldables hit the market, we’ve all been waiting for prices to drop – and maybe that time is finally around the corner.
If Samsung steps up with a more affordable flip foldable, it could spark a chain reaction, pushing other brands to lower their prices to stay competitive. So, who knows? We might not be far from the moment when flip-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip 6 shed their “premium-only” status and become a more common sight in people’s hands.
And really, it’s about time. New tech is usually expensive when it first comes out, but over time, costs tend to drop as production improves, supply chains get streamlined, and upgrades become standard. That’s how it “should” work, at least in an ideal world.
Of course, we still don’t know how much cheaper the Galaxy Z Flip FE might actually be. So now, all eyes are on Samsung to see just how budget-friendly its first affordable flip foldable will be.
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| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 | Motorola razr Plus (2024) | Motorola razr (2024) |
Design
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6.50 x 2.83 x 0.27 inches (~0.32 inches with camera bump) 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm (~8.2 mm with camera bump) |
6.75 x 2.91 x 0.28 inches 171.4 x 74 x 7.1 mm |
6.74 x 2.91 x 0.29 inches 171.30 x 73.99 x 7.25 mm |
| Folded | ||
| 3.35 x2.83 x0.58 inches (85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9 mm) | 3.46 x2.91 x0.6 inches (88.1 x 74 x 15.3 mm) | 3.46 x2.91 x0.62 inches (88.08 x 73.99 x 15.85 mm) |
| Weight | ||
| 6.60 oz (187.0 g) | 6.67 oz (189.0 g) | 6.63 oz (188.0 g) |
| Materials | ||
| Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2) Frame: Aluminum | Back: Glass, Vegan Leather Frame: Aluminum | Back: Glass Frame: Aluminum |
| Resistance | ||
| Water, Dust; IP48 | Water; IPX8 | Water; IPX8 |
| Biometrics | ||
| Fingerprint (touch) | Fingerprint (touch) | Fingerprint (touch) |
| Keys | ||
| Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key | Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key | Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key |
| Colors | ||
| Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue, Mint, Crafted Black, White, Peach | Spring Green (Dill), Midnight Blue (Navy Blazer), Peach Fuzz, Hot Pink | Koala Grey, Beach Sand, Spritz Orange |
Display
| Size | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6.7-inch, 85.52% screen-to-body | 6.9-inch, 85.19% screen-to-body | 6.9-inch, 85.07% screen-to-body |
| Type | ||
| Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR, 2600 nits | AMOLED, 165Hz, HDR, 1400 nits | P-OLED, 120Hz, 3000 nits |
| Resolution | ||
| 2640x1080px, 22:9 ratio, 426 PPI | 2640x1080px, 22:9 ratio, 413 PPI | 2640x1080px, 22:9 ratio, 413 PPI |
| Features | ||
| Folding inside the device, HDR support, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Folding inside the device, HDR support, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | |
| Front cover display | ||
| 3.4 inches 720 x748 px Super AMOLED Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2) |
3.6 inches 1066 x1056 px AMOLED 90Hz refresh rate, Folding around the outside |
|
| Additional display | ||
| 4.0 inches, 1272 x1080 px, AMOLED | ||
Hardware
| System chip | ||
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SM8550-AC (4 nm) | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SM8635 (4 nm) | MediaTek Dimensity 7300X (4 nm) |
| Processor | ||
| Octa-core 1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520 |
Octa-core 1x3.0GHz Cortex-X4 4x2.8GHz Cortex-A720 3x2.0GHz Cortex-A520 |
Octa-core 4x2.5GHz Cortex-A78 4x2.0GHz Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | ||
| Adreno 750 | Adreno 735 | Mali-G615 MC2 |
| Memory | ||
| 8GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 8GB/512GB |
12GB (LPDDR5)/256GB (UFS 4.0) | 8GB (LPDDR4X)/128GB (UFS 2.2) |
| Storage expansion | ||
| not expandable | not expandable | |
| OS | ||
| Android (14) | Android (14) | Android (14) |
Battery
| Type | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4000 mAh, Li - Ion | 4000 mAh, Li - Ion | 4200 mAh, Li - Ion |
| Charging | ||
| Fast charging Qi wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging |
Motorola TurboPower Qi wireless charging, Reverse wired charging |
|
| Charge speed | ||
| Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 10.0W |
Wired: 45.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
Wired: 30.0W Wireless: 5.0W |
Camera
| Rear | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual camera | Dual camera | Dual camera |
| Main camera | ||
| 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 23 mm Sensor size: 1/1.57" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
50 MP (OIS, PDAF), 12 MP Aperture size: F1.7 Focal length: 24 mm Pixel size: 0.8 μm | 50 MP (PDAF) Aperture size: F1.7 Focal length: 25 mm Pixel size: 0.8 μm |
| Second camera | ||
| 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/3.2" Pixel size: 1.12 μm | 50 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Optical zoom: 2.0x Aperture size: F2.0 Focal Length: 47 mm Sensor size: 1/2.76" Pixel size: 0.64 μm |
13 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.2 Sensor size: 1/3" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
| Flash | ||
| LED | LED | LED |
| Video recording | ||
| Yes HDR, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording |
4K UHD (60 fps), 1080p (60 fps) | 4K UHD (30 fps) |
| Front | ||
| 10 MP Video capture: 4K UHD (60 fps) |
32 MP | 32 MP Video capture: 4K UHD (30 fps) |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | ||
|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| WLAN | ||
| a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax | a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax | a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax |
| USB | ||
| Type-C | Type-C, USB 2.0 | Type-C, USB 2.0 |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Barometer, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Barometer, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Hearing aid compatible | ||
| M3/T4 | ||
| Location | ||
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Other | ||
| NFC | NFC | NFC |
Multimedia
| Headphones | ||
|---|---|---|
| No 3.5mm jack | No 3.5mm jack | No 3.5mm jack |
| Speakers | ||
| Earpiece, Multiple speakers | Earpiece, Multiple speakers | Earpiece, Multiple speakers |
| Features | ||
| aptX, aptX-HD | ||
| Screen mirroring | ||
| Wireless screen share | Wireless screen share | Wireless screen share |
| Additional microphone(s) | ||
| Noise cancellation | Noise cancellation | Noise cancellation |
Cellular
| 5G Bands | ||
|---|---|---|
| n1, n2, n5, n7, n25, n28, n41, n66, n71, n78, n258, n260, n261, SA, NSA, Sub-6, mmWave | n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n13, n14, n20, n25, n28, n29, n30, n38, n40, n41, n50, n66, n70, n71, n77, n78, 5G Ready | n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n12, n14, n20, n25, n28, n29, n30, n38, n39, n40, n41, n48, n66, n70, n71, n77, n78, 5G Ready |
| 4G (FDD) Bands | ||
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71 |
| 4G (TDD) Bands | ||
| 38, 39, 40, 41, 48 | 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48 | 38, 39, 40, 41, 48 |
| 3G Bands | ||
| 1, 4, 5, 8 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 | 1, 3, 8 |
| Data Speed | ||
| LTE-A Pro Cat 20 (2000/150 Mbit/s) | LTE-A Pro Cat 20 (2000/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s | |
| SIM type | ||
| Nano SIM, eSIM | Nano SIM, eSIM | Nano SIM, eSIM |
Regulatory Approval
| FCC approval | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date approved: May 28, 2024 FCC ID value: A3LSMF741U | ||
| Measured SAR | ||
| Head: 1.10 W/kg Body: 1.19 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 2.83 W/kg |
||
Availability
| Officially announced | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2024 | Jun 25, 2024 | |
| Prices (MSRP) | ||
| $1100 | €1199 | $999 | $700 |
See the full
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Motorola razr Plus (2024) vs Motorola razr (2024) specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
If Samsung does roll out the Galaxy Z Flip FE, it could go head-to-head with the Razr series while also snagging a slice of the pie from rising Chinese brands like Honor, whose Magic V Flip starts at just $690.
The key to hitting that lower price point might lie in the chipset. Rumors suggest the Galaxy Z Flip FE could feature Samsung’s homegrown Exynos 2400e, the same processor powering the Galaxy S24 FE. Honestly, it makes perfect sense – why not use that chipset for the first budget-friendly flip foldable, too?
Maybe it’s time for foldables to get cheaper
Foldables should eventually become mainstream. | Image credit – PhoneArena
When it comes to premium gadgets, foldable phones are still firmly in that category. They are not exactly budget-friendly, and let’s not even start on how pricey repairs can be. But ever since foldables hit the market, we’ve all been waiting for prices to drop – and maybe that time is finally around the corner.
If Samsung steps up with a more affordable flip foldable, it could spark a chain reaction, pushing other brands to lower their prices to stay competitive. So, who knows? We might not be far from the moment when flip-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip 6 shed their “premium-only” status and become a more common sight in people’s hands.
And really, it’s about time. New tech is usually expensive when it first comes out, but over time, costs tend to drop as production improves, supply chains get streamlined, and upgrades become standard. That’s how it “should” work, at least in an ideal world.
Of course, we still don’t know how much cheaper the Galaxy Z Flip FE might actually be. So now, all eyes are on Samsung to see just how budget-friendly its first affordable flip foldable will be.
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