Samsung often leaves the back door open, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the first hints we get of a cheaper Flip handset come from a patent registration. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is the UN’s version of a patent office, and it hosts some design concepts that could point to a more affordable Flip. At some point.
There’s little more than a set of line drawings, with an international registration date of 3 March 2026. The “ornamental design for a display device, as shown and described” was originally filed for in 2024.
Samsung’s gonna Flip
The design being shown (above) is quite different from Samsung’s current affordable Flip FE. The move has been toward larger screens on the mainline Flip’s rear, with the FE getting a largely compressed version of the same. This patent suggests there may be two screens — or perhaps just one circular one — on an upcoming phone’s rear.
It keeps the same folding chassis seen in the Flip range, though corners are slightly more rounded. It’s easy to picture this device with mostly plastic construction. It could resemble the lines of flip phones of yore. Scaling back on the build materials, with a small screen for selfies and notifications, would easily trim the Flip’s cost.
Since Samsung already has the software to make an uber-affordable version of its Flip work, it may not be the worst idea. Apple just launched what is, for it, a budget notebook. Who’s to say the South Korean company isn’t also looking to similarly expand its reach? Not everyone can afford R25,000 for a folding smartphone. Cut that price by ten grand, and loads more pocketable smartphones will roam the streets.
