If, like me, you were hoping we’d see a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold FE – i.e. an affordable alternative to Samsung’s expensive foldable phones – then I’ve got some bad news. According to Samsung itself, there are no plans to launch a cheaper foldable for the time being.
Samsung just launched a new foldable; Notably, it’s a new Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition with some exclusive upgrades like wider screens, a 200MP wide main camera, and a thinner and lighter body than the base Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, these upgrades come at a price, with the device costs 2,789,600 won (or about $2,000 / £1,550 / AU$3,000).
It’s also exclusive to South Korea – with rumors of a China launch yet to be confirmed.
As for a cheaper alternative, Samsung appears to have no plans to make a cheaper foldable tablet, according to an official message to the Korean outlet Sisa Journal (translated for Korean): “As of now, we have no plans to release a separate product with a lower price.”
It doesn’t really get any clearer than that.
The wrong move?
Granted, the chances are still not zero that Samsung is working on some sort of Galaxy Z Fold FE – to match other budget Fan Edition Samsung handsets – as the statement is a bit non-committal. The kind of non-promise that Samsung could ignore anyway if it has nothing to announce at the moment (and teasing a cheap phone right before the launch of a mega-expensive phone is probably not a good business move).
And I really hope it has something less expensive in store, because the last thing foldable products should be is more expensive.
Yes, the technology is great, I thoroughly enjoyed using the regular Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 when it launched, but it’s hard to justify $1,899.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,749 for a smartphone like a The $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 Galaxy S24 does a lot of the same things. It’s an especially hard pill to swallow when you consider that the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s non-dustproof design makes it less durable, meaning you could ruin your expensive gadget with one trip to the beach.
For example, at $1,200 – £1,200 / AU$1,800 – or around two-thirds the price, a Galaxy Fold would be a lot more attractive, even if that means Samsung has to make some sacrifices on the hardware side. .
We’ll have to wait and see if Samsung changes course, but for now it looks like the best we can do is hope for some great deals during this year’s Black Friday sale if you want a cheap foldable tablet.