When Samsung released the first flexible display smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, a few years ago, it was a revolutionary device with cutting-edge technology and a $2,000 price tag. It was expected that over time, prices for foldable smartphones would decrease due to cheaper production of components. However, Samsung has now announced that it has no plans to release cheaper smartphones with flexible displays.
Image source: SamMobile
Rumors about Samsung’s plans to release more affordable Galaxy Z Fold smartphones have appeared repeatedly. As it turned out, the South Korean company has no such plans, at least at this stage. Instead, the manufacturer intends to maintain a high price for its foldable smartphones, while simultaneously implementing support for the latest technologies in them, just as it was done in the recently released Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition.
«It [Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition] should not be considered a premium product. This is a product designed to enhance your capabilities. You can choose according to your taste. At this time, we have no plans to release a separate product at a lower price,” said a Samsung Electronics representative.
Samsung is currently playing catch-up in the foldable smartphone race. The company was once a market leader, but now the South Korean manufacturer has been pushed off its pedestal by the Chinese Huawei. Sales of Samsung foldable smartphones have stagnated in recent years. This can be corrected by creating high-quality and optimized applications for folding smartphones, or by releasing more affordable models to expand the target audience. At this stage, Samsung has managed to do neither.
Folding smartphones from Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei, Honor, Oppo and Vivo are thinner, lighter and have better cameras than the Galaxy Z Fold models. To justify the high price, Samsung needs to improve the design of its devices and their technical characteristics. Samsung is rumored to be planning to release a more affordable Galaxy Z Flip and its first tri-fold smartphone next year.