Samsung’s Most Popular Foldable Phone Is About to Get More Affordable
We are in quite an era of smartphones, aren’t we? We’ve got overseas manufacturing giants claiming to make the thinnest folding phone on the planet, and brands like Motorola are getting Paris Hilton onboard to help market its foldable. Then there’s Samsung, the smartphone giant that arguably made foldables cool again is considering dialing down the price of its Z Flip foldable to make this burgeoning device category more accessible.
How much more accessible? I don’t know yet; it’s just a rumor. The Android blogs have picked up a random Turkish firmware listing from Twitter/X. It’s a screenshot of what is likely a Samsung folding device that will eventually hit the European market. The model number in reference is “SM-F761B,” which follows suit in the current numbering scheme, leading some sleuths to believe that it isn’t the Galaxy Z Flip 7 referenced here, but a Galaxy Z Flip FE, or Fan Edition, as Samsung is wont to do.
Samsung’s “fan edition” models are typically dialed-down versions of one of its most popular selling models. There hasn’t been a folding smartphone yet, which seems like a lost opportunity as more brands launch folding devices to compete against Samsung’s existing kin. Motorola hit a lower price point with the Razr last year, which started at $700. It had concessions, sure, like subpar camera performance, but it made a flip-phone smartphone possible for users in that bracket.
The rumor of a cheaper Samsung flip phone has percolated since last year, so we’re willing to roll with this super slim rumor that is still only making the rounds among niche nerds like us. Ross Young, our favorite display analyst who always spills the manufacturing tea, says the Z Flip FE will use the Galaxy Z Flip 6‘s 6.7-inch display panel. It’s one way it can cut down the cost.
When would Samsung launch something like a cost-efficient fan edition foldable? I would bet on later this year, right before the big refresh of the folding flagships. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 are expected to debut this summer in the Northern Hemisphere. If it’s anything like the last couple of years, an event in New York City will precede it.
