While Samsung is preparing the Galaxy Z Flip 5 for an alleged announcement in late July, Motorola is trying to get a head start and intends to reveal its new foldable flip phone, the Razr 40 Ultra, on June 1. The phone will compete with Samsung's Z Flip series in many markets, including Europe, where the Razr 40 Ultra will reportedly cost more than Samsung's alternative.
Samsung appears to be the only smartphone manufacturer actively trying to lower the price barrier for foldable devices. Unless the company decides to follow the market trends and price the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 higher than the previous models, it will retain its competitive pricing edge over its rivals.
A case in point is the Huawei Mate X3, which recently launched in Europe for €2,200, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 costs €1,799. And if the latest leaks turn out to be true (via WinFuture), Motorola will also fail to give the Razr 40 Ultra a much-needed competitive price across the European continent.
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra may cost €1,169 or more
According to reports, Motorola intends to release the 8GB/256GB Razr 40 Ultra foldable flip phone in Europe for anywhere between €1,169 and €1,199, with the price varying depending on the country. In contrast, Samsung released the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in Europe last year for €1,059 – €1,099. And right now, in Germany, the phone costs only €859.
Granted, it could be argued that the Razr 40 Ultra has a larger cover screen than the Z Flip 4 and a 165Hz refresh rate for both panels rather than 120Hz. It also ships with 256GB of storage minimum. Nevertheless, these are expected yearly improvements that sholdn't demand a higher price, and in the end, the Razr 40 Ultra will be pitted against the Z Flip 5 first and foremost, rather than being a Z Flip 4 competitor. Samsung's next-gen flip phone is just around the corner and should be unveiled at the end of July.
Like the Razr, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have a larger cover screen and other upgrades. And there haven't been any leaks hinting at the Galaxy Z Flip 5 going on sale for a higher price than last year's model. Samsung might prove us wrong, which would be unfortunate, but until then, it seems like Motorola may have slightly overvalued the Razr 40 Ultra.
At the end of the day, and curiously enough, Samsung appears to be the only manufacturer trying to bring foldable prices down. But it seems to go against the grain as far as other foldable phone OEMs are concerned. And that includes Google, whose Pixel Fold was announced in Europe for €1,899.