Samsung is the global front-runner when it comes to folding smartphones. That much is hardly in doubt, and is a testament to how much R&D the brand is putting in. But a new report out of South Korea suggests that the company’s folding phone ambitions are about to get a little more… democratic.
Don’t get too excited, though. We might already know more or less what 2022’s folding Samsung devices look like, but the cheaper versions may take a while. Like, 2024, at the soonest. But, if they’re actually released, they could mainstream the still-niche smartphone segment.
Samsung knows when to Fold ’em
Korea-based ET News reports that Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Experience (MX) division is working on a cheaper version of its existing Fold and Flip lineups. This phone, if it ever makes it to market, will show up under Samsung’s Galaxy A brand. If you’re playing the home game, you’ll know that this is the company’s budget- to mid-range lineup.
There’s little information about what exactly these potential phones will consist of. They will, apparently, drop some of the more premium features from the Fold and Flip. Under-screen cameras, fingerprint sensors, and overly high-end cameras might be in for the chop. Flagship internals will also be absent, and there might also be build changes in store.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G review – Is this enough to bring you into the Fold?
All of these differences already exist in Samsung’s Galaxy A phones. The screens, processors, and cameras are all scaled back. Plastic and composite elements are also present in those phones. Samsung, mostly, has to slap a hinge and one of its P-OLED screens into those and then price them accordingly. The estimated cost for a folding Galaxy A, according to reports, is below one million Korean won. In South African terms, that’s about R13,000. As far as folding phones go, that’s positively affordable.
Source: ET News