Flip phones are back — at least in foldable phone form — and consumers have plenty of options if they want to get into the fold. But a new foldable phone from Samsung could be one of the most interesting options yet.
Although Samsung’s current foldable phones Galaxy Z And fold carry price tags of around $1,000 and $1,800 respectively, A recent leak showed A reported mid-range Samsung foldable phone set will debut next year that will cost a shockingly affordable $400 to $500.
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For reference, the Motorola Razr, this year’s most affordable foldable phone, had a starting price of $699 and recently went on sale for $499. Black Friday sales aside, the new Samsung phone will significantly reduce the price of each foldable.
It’s not clear if it will be a book-style or a clamshell, but based on their current prices, it will likely be more similar to the lower-priced Galaxy Z. What kind of discount will Samsung have to give for this low price? ?
If the Motorola Razr is any indication, the lower-priced Samsung will likely sport a smaller display, possibly a less-powerful camera, and possibly cut back on processing power. But the Razer still handles everyday tasks very well, so the phone has plenty of uses for most people.
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Of course, the big question now is, will it be foldable that leads to mainstream adoption? Folding phones are definitely the hot thing right now, but they haven’t gotten a foothold among other flagships, at least in the US (foldables accounted for 40% of premium phone sales in South Korea last year, and that’s only expected to grow this year).
In our hands-on review of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, however, it was noted that Samsung president TM Roh said that 50% of smartphone users are considering upgrading to a foldable device. And if that is indeed the case, the low price of this phone could finally be a tipping point for many buyers.