There is one thing that all folding phones have in common: they are outrageously priced. This could be attributed to years of research and development and use of new components. It apparently took Samsung almost a decade to commercialize the idea and even make the dual-screen Microsoft Surface took five years.
The cost to make these phones is apparently so high that Huawei lost between $ 60 million and $ 70 million on the Mate Xs. The good news is that because these suppliers are making technological breakthroughs and scaling up production, we can expect prices to go down. In fact, Samsung has already been told about it.
SamMobile claims that the company is working on an affordable foldable smartphone. It apparently carries the model number SM-F415 and there is not much known about it at the moment except that it will come with storage options 64GB and 128GB and will be available in the colors blue, green and black.
It does not seem like the information comes from a reputable source, so take this report with a pinch of salt.
Will the budget collapsible phone cost less than the larger $ 900 Galaxy Fold Lite?
At $ 1,380, Samsung’s second flexible handset, the Galaxy Z Flip costs $ 600 less than the OG Fold that launched for $ 1,980. The Motorola Razr is another relatively affordable rechargeable phone with a $ 1,499 price tag. The trade-off is that it offers mid-tier specs.
Samsung will most likely enter strip-down version of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in 2021 which will cost around $ 900. While this would make it much more affordable than the Fold 2, it will still be out of reach for most consumers.
In short, it is obvious that Samsung is keen to get foldables at various price points.
To be a mainstream device, the SM-F415 would have to go for an even lower than $ 900 and this could lead to several compromises.
So, if Samsung is indeed planning to release a budget collapsible phone, expect it to have humble core specs, a mid-tier camera, and a minuscule coverage display.
