Pay up or stop dreaming: Samsung says it won’t make a cheap foldable phone،
Rumors of an affordable foldable Galaxy phone have once again been debunked, this time by none other than Samsung.
Although foldable phones still make up only a small fraction of the broader market, it’s the only category 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 United States and a recent report indicated that Samsung might release a foldable phone price between $400 and $500 in 2024.
This report was met with some skepticism, with people wondering if it was even possible for Samsung to cut the price in half. You see, making a stripped down model foldable phone is not as simple as making a phone like the Galaxy S23 FE, because foldable phones are expensive for a reason.
Foldable phones consist of high-end parts such as a flexible screen and a hinge and involve complex engineering and a lot of research and development. Since sales have not yet increased to the point where manufacturers can benefit from economies of scale and lower prices, it will be extremely difficult for companies to offer cheaper models. Samsung certainly won’t do this anytime soon.
According to Korea JoongAng DailySamsung denied rumors that it would launch a mid-size model foldable phone.
We have no plans to make foldable smartphones priced in the mid-range, and the latest rumors are unfounded.” – Samsung Electronics Spokesperson.
There is still a small glimmer of hope for a Fan Edition model, with Samsung saying that “nothing has been decided on the matter”.
A Samsung executive had recently suggested that the company has no plans to launch an affordable phone in the foreseeable future. Whether it was the right decision is another story.
Chinese company Tecno has already launched a $600 flip phone in some markets. Huawei could release an affordable price foldable phone next year. Samsung probably wants to continue to position itself foldable phones as premium devices, but that strategy is unlikely to help it reach its goal of selling 20 million foldable phones next year.
