Samsung says it has no plans to launch a mid-range foldable phone

While Samsung may not currently be working on a mid-range foldable phone, it won't come as a surprise if the South Korean tech giant launches a mid-range foldable phone in the coming years.

Samsung launched its first fold and flip phone in 2020. (Express Photo)

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Samsung is undoubtedly a major player in the smartphone industry and the leading manufacturer when it comes to foldable phone technology. A few days ago, rumour had it that the South Korean phone maker was working on a mid-range foldable phone that would cost somewhere between $400 to $500 (Rs 33,000 to Rs 42,000).

Now, a report from Korea JoongAng Daily suggests that rumours surrounding the mid-range foldable phone are untrue. “We don’t plan to manufacture foldable smartphones that are priced in the midrange, and the latest rumors are groundless”, a Samsung Electronics spokesperson told the publication.

With the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold in 2020, Samsung popularised foldable smartphones, but the high cost kept the form factor out of reach for most consumers.

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In the following years, Samsung managed to bring down the cost of foldable phones by a bit, but the premium asking price combined with various factors like a smaller battery, average cameras and lack of dust resistance has kept the majority of users at bay.

Unless Samsung decides to cut corners in areas like performance and decrease its profit margins, a mid-range foldable phone seems unlikely anytime soon. However, when asked about the possibility of a foldable phone that might cost less than the current offering, the Samsung spokesperson said that “there’s nothing decided on the matter”.

As the foldable smartphone segment heats up with manufacturers like Oppo, Motorola, Google and Tecno jumping on the bandwagon, it won’t come as a surprise if Samsung launches a pocket-friendly foldable device in the future.