Samsung may be about to make folding phones much more affordable, according to a new report.
The South Korean giant announced that it will unveil its third foldable smartphone on 1 September – the Galaxy Z Fold 2 – but another mystery device may also be revealed.
Unofficial Samsung news site SamMobile reported on Thursday that a phone with the model number SM-F415 is under development.
The name is not yet known but the ‘F’ in the model number indicates that it will likely be the latest smartphone in the Galaxy Z series, following on from the Galaxy Z Flip (SM-F700) and Galaxy Z Fold 2 (SM-F916).
The price of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is not yet known, but its predecessor cost £1,900 when it launched last year.
This is inline with other folding phones released by major smartphone manufacturers, with the Huawei Mate X costing around £2,000
Microsoft’s Surface Duo, which starts shipping on 10 September, costs slightly less. But at $1,399 (£1,070), it will still be among the most expensive smartphones on the market.
Any foldable phone that costs below £1,000 will be considered budget, especially considering the trend in recent years of top-of-the-range iPhones and Android smartphones costing close to £1,500.
Little is known about the SM-F415 device, though SamMobile claimed it will be available with 64GB and 128GB storage options and come in black, green and blue.
The publication speculates that mid-range specs could indicate that it will be a budget clamshell foldable phone that cuts costs by having a smaller screen than the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
