Many foldable phone enthusiasts following the emerging market since Samsung announced the original Galaxy Fold have been clamoring for a lower entry-level price. The Galaxy Z Flip series addressed that issue to a degree, especially as Flip phones became more affordable year after year until they reached the $999 mark. Nevertheless, Samsung foldable phones remain premium by definition, and some people continue to hope for a lower barrier of entry.
According to a new rumor, Samsung might make foldable phones more affordable starting next year. Samsung supposedly wants to focus more on the Fan Edition family of devices. Once the Galaxy S23 FE goes live, the company will announce more Fan Edition products consistently every year. The same rumor (via @Tech_Reve) says foldable phones are a part of this new FE-centric strategy.
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Galaxy Z Fan Edition coming after the 6th generation?
Samsung has big plans for its foldable display technology. Of that, we are certain. At Galaxy Unpacked, TM Roh confirmed that Samsung still believes in foldable tablets and PCs, and the company is working on making these large-screen foldable devices a reality.
But what about cheaper foldable phones? Well, Samsung hasn't said anything about them at Unpacked, but new rumors suggest the company will release a Fan Edition Galaxy Z device after the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 go live a year from now.
How accurate might this rumor be? It's hard to tell, so take this with a pinch of salt. On one hand, Samsung is clearly working on expanding its Fan Edition family of devices, not only through the Galaxy S23 FE but the rumored Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Tab S9+ FE tablets. Meanwhile, Samsung is also betting on large foldable displays. By putting two and two together, it might not be difficult to imagine the FE brand expanding to include foldable phones.
Then again, foldable phones are not easy to manufacture. They're not cheaper to make than standard smartphones, and it's unclear whether it is even possible or viable for Samsung to lower the foldable phone's entry-level price to Fan Edition levels by cutting more corners. The Z Flip series is already missing dedicated zoom cameras and Samsung DeX support.
If foldable phones continue to grow in popularity and become the face of the mobile market, the technology could eventually become cheap enough to be adopted by the Galaxy FE or Galaxy A device families. But whether or not this will happen immediately after the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 is to be determined.
