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Samsung preps cheaper $1200 Galaxy Fold and thinner Z Fold 6 for battle in China

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Dec 19, 2024, 6:05 AM

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Samsung preps cheaper $1200 Galaxy Fold and thinner Z Fold 6 for battle in China

Samsung is working on a two-pronged approach to counter the tough competition from China and plans to make its foldable phones both cheaper and thinner, just as their Chinese counterparts from Huawei, Oppo, OnePlus, Honor, and others. The latest foldable phones by Oppo, for instance - the Find N3 and N3 Flip - or the nearly identical OnePlus Open, beat its Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 on precisely those counts, adding the superior specs insult to the thinner design injury.

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More elegant Samsung Z Fold 6

To offset those advantages of the Chinese foldable phone industry, Samsung has reportedly crafted a Galaxy Z Fold 6 that is much thinner than its predecessor, reports local media The Elec. As you can see from their comparison table below, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is thicker than all of its main competitors and is also way more expensive.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 thickness and price compared to the competition

While it remains to be seen how exactly will Samsung address the pesky problem with its flagship foldable's thickness considering that it will also have to up the ante in terms of specs and high-end components to stuff into the Z Fold 6, it is reportedly preparing to tackle the other competitive issue its foldables have.

A $1200 Galaxy Fold

Another avenue that Samsung is reportedly exploring in order to tackle the onslaught of Chinese foldables and establish a firmer presence in the world's largest phone market, is to simply develop a cheaper one. Samsung has allegedly tasked its dedicated team to concoct an entry-level foldable phone that will be able to stand its ground against Huawei, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Honor, or Xiaomi's foldable handsets, and grow its market share away from the honorable third place in the bendy handset market on their home turf.

Samsung foldables' market share China

Given that most of the flagship foldables of the competition cost in the $1200-$1300 range, Samsung's entry-level Galaxy Fold should be gunning for this price point as well, which would be a more than 30% price cut compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The reason that Samsung doesn't want to develop a cheaper phone in the Flip line is reportedly lying in the fact that the clamshell design is more popular and well established in the minds of consumers now, and its sub-$1,000 price is already low enough.

How and when will Samsung come up with a much more affordable member of its Galaxy Fold line remains to be seen, but it reportedly gave up on the idea to release it this year, as it would cannibalize the sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and even the Z Flip 6, so 2025 may be the safer bet.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.