While excitement mounts around Samsung’s next major foldable – the Galaxy Fold 2 – another, more affordable offering could well be in the works.
Samsung’s first-generation Galaxy Fold also happens to be its most expensive phone, at £1900. While the Z Flip showed that foldable phones don’t need to cost the Earth, it was still a pricey number.
Samsung is expected to launch a follow-up to the Fold towards the end of 2020 but there are new rumblings of a sort of ‘special edition’ version of the original that reworks things to offer that same phone-to-tablet foldable form factor at a lower price point.
What is the Galaxy Fold Lite?
As you might be able to glean from the name, Samsung could be cooking up a diet Galaxy Fold.
According to one source, previously associated with Galaxy Fold 2 leaks, the Fold Lite looks to be an extra product that the Korean company might be prepping to launch, hewn from excess original Galaxy Fold inventory.
How much will the Galaxy Fold Lite cost?
Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (or DSCC for short) had previously tweeted about various aspects of the anticipated Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, however, on May 13 in a now-deleted post, Young also made mention of a “Special Edition” of the Galaxy Fold that is set to clock in at “$1099”
To clear out Galaxy Fold 1 inventory before the Galaxy Fold 2 is launched, Samsung will announce the Galaxy Fold Special Edition in July at a price around $1099. Quantities will be limited to ~55K worldwide. It should look just like the Galaxy Fold 1. Great price!
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) May 13, 2020
The current Galaxy Fold retails for US$1980, making this Lite model nearly US$900 cheaper. Applying that same 44% reduction to UK pricing of the Galaxy Fold (£1900) would bring the Fold Lite in at somewhere around the £1055.
This is by no means ‘cheap’ for any phone but it’s an undeniable shift considering the asking price for the original Fold.
When will the Galaxy Fold Lite launch?
As stated in Young’s now-defunct tweet, Samsung could introduce the Fold Lite to market as soon as July this year – possible as a result of the parts-bin-style assembly that supposedly serves as part of the Lite’s manufacturing process.
This is markedly sooner than the expected arrival of the Galaxy Fold, which is expected to make its debut after the Galaxy Note 20 arrives in August/September time.
What features will the Galaxy Fold Lite offer?
Writer for tech website XDA Developers, Max Weinbach posted additional Fold Lite-related information, including connectivity, storage, colour and design details.
I have some info on the Galaxy Fold Lite. -Galaxy Fold Lite 4G -256GB storage -Mirror Black, Mirror Purple -Display has no UTG -Will be equipped with a mix of 2018/19/20 parts -outside will probably have a smaller display (not like on Fold, but more like the Z Flip)
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) May 12, 2020
It’s unclear who Weinbach’s source is, so take these finer details with a pinch of salt, but mention of a “Galaxy Fold e” also arose, as did talk of 256GB internal storage and 8GB of RAM.
Once we hear more concrete information, we’ll update this piece accordingly.