Samsung is shunning the budget foldable space, and it makes no sense

“For technology to truly be transformative, it has to reach beyond the tech-savvy and into the hands of everyone.”

This quote by Sheryl Sandberg has always resonated with me whenever I’ve looked at the current state of the foldable smartphone market.

It’s no joke that five years after introducing foldable smartphones and maintaining a complete monopoly over the segment, Samsung’s foldables still sit squarely in the domain of premium and ultra-premium smartphones. And if Samsung’s recent statements about an affordable Galaxy Z Fold are anything to go by, it appears that the company has no plans to change that stance. It makes no sense.

After the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition — a foldable that costs $300 more than the already expensive Galaxy Z Fold 6 — a Samsung official said the following.

Rather than thinking of [Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition] as a premium product, it’s a product released to expand your options. You can choose according to your taste. As of now, we have no plans to release a separate product with a lower price.

Considering that the foldable smartphone market has barely been inching ahead, it’s an interesting position. Estimates suggest that Samsung only managed to ship 300,000 units of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in the first two weeks of sales and underperformed expectations. In fact, by Samsung’s own admission, most users upgrading to new Fold and Flip phones from Samsung were those who were coming from older foldable models. Elsewhere, Samsung continues to lose market share and was recently dethroned by Huawei as the leader in foldable phones. Between the crippled camera systems, inherent lack of durability compared to candybar flagships, and the small matter of nosebleed price points, it really is no surprise that new users are reluctant to commit to a new foldable. More so in a declining smartphone sales market.

A more affordable foldable smartphone could be the solution to that problem. Sure, you can get a more budget-priced foldable from the likes of Tecno, but as the leading manufacturer of foldable smartphones, Samsung enjoys a lot of trust amongst prospective buyers — a crucial aspect given the fears around durability and longevity. It wouldn’t take much to build such a phone, either. Swapping out the processor for last year’s model and toning down the camera capabilities might just be enough. Additionally, it would allow Samsung to enjoy economies of scale with a larger user base. All of that sounds obvious, but outside of recent rumors that Samsung might be considering a Galaxy Z Flip FE edition, mum’s been the word.

Ironically, Samsung’s skittish behavior has left the door open for other brands to make a killing. Already, the likes of the OnePlus Open have proven to be capable of delivering a top-tier foldable experience while undercutting Samsung’s offering. Meanwhile, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro runs circles around Samsung’s camera offering and trounces it in many key specs. Elsewhere, Huawei is on a whole different level with its triple-fold smartphone. As it stands, Samsung is getting a beating from the competition in everything from choice to capabilities as well as competitive pricing.

Okay, I know what you’re about to say. Yes, these phones aren’t particularly affordable either. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Motorola’s flip phone can be bought for as little as $300 during sales. And it isn’t the only one. The Nubia Flip 5 is yet another option available for just $500. If significantly smaller brands can pull it off, I see absolutely no logical reason for Samsung to shun the budget foldable space outside of risking cannibalizing its own A-series smartphones or, worse still, an aversion to experimentation.

Elsewhere, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Google entering the game either. While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold remains a premium option, we’ve seen that Google has no qualms in releasing surprisingly competent budget phones that have many of the same internals and thoughtful omissions to drive down costs. The Pixel-A lineup has traditionally been an excellent balance of specs and experience, and a prospective Pixel Fold A could be just the almost-affordable foldable we need. Keeping the same Tensor chipset as the rest of the lineup while opting for older camera sensors and a smaller battery has been a winning strategy for the brand. I’d go as far as saying it’s just a matter of when and not if.

Look, the democratization of tech takes time, but with sales barely inching ahead, you’d imagine that Samsung would be rushing to find a way to make foldable phones more affordable. In contrast, the company is taking a staunch stance to stay ultra-premium. Unless something changes dramatically, I can’t see Samsung maintaining its lead for much longer against the sheer breadth of competition. Bewildering.