Samsung working to bring foldable phones to regular folks with Galaxy A Fold and Flip
Samsung is currently the number one seller of foldable smartphones, accounting for nearly 80 percent of sales, but with competition heating up and rumors alleging that Apple will also release a bendable handset down the road, it's clear that the South Korean giant will have to fight harder to keep that spot. One way to do that would be by introducing cheaper foldable phones and it looks like Samsung is already on it.
The OG Fold that was introduced in 2019 retailed for $1,980 and although Samsung has since brought down the price to $1,800, the company's book-like bendable handset is still out of reach for most consumers.
Similarly, the clamshell Z Flip has gone down from $1,380 to $1,000 but is still in the premium range.
Between 2020 and 2021 there were rumors that Samsung would launch a stripped-down version of the Galaxy Fold. The rumors were reignited this month by a leaker who claimed that affordable Samsung phones were back on the table but hinted that they would be a part of the affordable Galaxy A range instead of the Z family of foldable phones.
That rumor has been backed up by Korean outlet ET News, which has a semi-accurate track record when it comes to leaks. The publication says that Samsung is working on an entry-level foldable smartphone that will be priced at under 1 million won (~$771).
Considering the phone will likely be pricier in other markets because of taxes and duties, we can assume that it will retail for more than $800. This is roughly in line with those earlier rumors that had said the Galaxy Fold Lite could start at around $900.
The report adds that Samsung will cut corners by excluding premium features and the Galaxy A foldable lineup will only include core functionalities. Previous reports had said that the company's affordable bendable phones would not include the Ultra Thin Glass layer that's included with Samsung's best foldable phones.
The report also suggests that Samsung will release affordable versions of both the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. The project is currently in the planning and development stage and the company is eyeing a release date of 2024.
In addition to increasing the competitiveness of its foldable phones, Samsung also apparently wants to grow the sales share of the form factor within its overall lineup from single-digit to double digits. Samsung is clearly betting big on this form factor, the biggest sign of which is that it has stopped making the iconic Galaxy Note phones.
Samsung's Galaxy A phones are already a key driver of sales and in recent times have performed better than the premium S series handsets.
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