Summary
- Samsung may release an $800 entry-level foldable phone with inferior specs to compete in the market.
- The cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6 variant could boost Samsung’s market share and attract new customers.
- Samsung’s dominance in the foldable market has declined, leading to a concerted effort to regain lost market share.
Samsung is supposedly gearing up to announce its 2024 foldable lineup, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, in July this year. Leaked renders have already revealed the design changes Samsung’s book-style foldable might get this year. The rumor mill has also popped up conflicting information about the Korean giant launching a cheaper variant of the Fold 6 in a bid to boost its foldable sales. A new report now sheds light on the possible price of Samsung’s entry-level foldable phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: News, leaks, rumored price, and release window
Samsung’s 2024 foldable could pack some big upgrades
An unverified report from Sisa Journal claims Samsung’s entry-level foldable will pack inferior specs compared to the flagship model. This will include an inferior SoC, display, and battery capacity. All these compromises will help Samsung keep the foldable’s price in check and price it around $800. For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 costs $1,800.
Seemingly, the phone will sport a dual-camera system with specs similar to those of Samsung’s flagship folding phones. So, this cheap Galaxy foldable could sport a 50MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultrawide, as seen on the Fold 5. However, its image quality should be inferior to that of Z Fold 6 due to its weaker ISP and limited processing power.
A cheaper Galaxy foldable could help boost Samsung’s market share
A wacky rumor from MWC 2024 suggested that Samsung was working on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, a more expensive version of the foldable with better specs. But there have been a few leaks and rumors that back up this report since then. Conversely, reports of a cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6 variant debuting this year have only picked up steam.
Samsung has been dominating the foldable market since its inception. Given it has been at the forefront of the development of foldable phones, this is not surprising. But in recent years, the company’s efforts have stagnated, with the Fold lineup falling behind the competition. This has heavily cost the Korean giant its market share in China, with sales of folding phones from Huawei, Honor, and others surpassing that of Samsung.
A cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6 variant should help Samsung reach millions of potential new customers and reclaim its lost market share. However, this could come at the expense of a lower ASP (Average Selling Price) and profit margins for the company.
