Key Takeaways
- The foldable phone market is starting to cater to more price-conscious buyers with cheaper models like the Moto Razr 2023 and potentially Huawei’s upcoming entry-level flip phone.
- Samsung is rumored to be following this trend and considering launching a cheaper model in their Z Flip lineup to capture the growing affordable foldable market.
- The new Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a larger cover display that gives it a more premium feel, which could potentially be used as a foundation for creating a cheaper model with a smaller display and different name.
While foldable phones continue to be an expensive luxury in most cases, there are signs that a market for cheaper models is starting to build. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a great flip phone, but it costs $999, putting it on par with flagship phones like the iPhone 15 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro. Motorola already found a way to make a folding phone cheaper with the Moto Razr 2023 costing just $699. Now, Huawei is rumoured to be working on something that will sit around that seem price point. Maybe even less.
Huawei isn’t on its own, either. The source of that rumour also now claims that Samsung is set to “follow this movement” in an attempt to capture the growing affordable foldable market.
$735 or less
The source of these rumours is @Tech_Reve, a leaker that has been posting on X (the social network formerly known as Twitter) for some time now. They have a respectable track record when predicting future developments, but it’s still worth remembering that no leaker is perfect.
The X post says that “Huawei plans to launch an entry-level version of its flip-type foldable phone (the P Pocket series) in the first half of next year, priced at $735 or less,” with a follow-up post saying that Samsung will follow suit. That’s particularly interesting because it seems fairly obvious how Samsung could take its existing Z Flip lineup and turn it into a two-tier one.
The just is simple. The Z Flip 5 has a new, larger cover display that makes it a notable upgrade over previous models. It also makes the phone seem more premium, which could give Samsung the leeway it needs to create a cheaper model. That cheaper model could ship with a smaller display and carry a new name in the form of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 FE or Galaxy A Flip, perhaps.
Whatever the name, the concept could well bear fruit. Samsung and other phone companies are clearly keen to offer foldable phones to more price-conscious buyers. And if this latest rumour is true, those buyers could soon have two new phones to choose from instead of the Moto Razr 2023 being the only game in town.
