Foldable phones are still a luxury today, although they are a year old from the testing stages in 2019. Samsung's Galaxy Fold has been a boost for the industry and foldable phones have started to take off the scale even further after the launch of the Z. Flip 5G. A month ago, XDA writer Max Weinbach hinted that a Lite version of the Galaxy Fold was in the works and would launch at a price of €1,100. Now, another rumor points out that the device has apparently been pushed back to 2021. According to Sammobile, reports from South Korea indicate that Samsung has delayed the launch of the Galaxy Fold Lite (interim) to 2021. Also, reports indicate a price of € 900 (1 million won), which is lower than the previous leak.
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(Image credit: Waqar Khan and WindowsUnited)
Cheapest foldable could hit the bubble in India
This could mean that Samsung could compromise the specifications of the Fold Lite in order to bring the foldable phone to an affordable price. Although the details of the components are not yet known, we can assume that areas such as the cover screen, processor and cameras may be affected. In the very price-conscious Indian market, a foldable phone could function as a status symbol and command huge ambitious value. This is evident from the fact that even the most expensive Apple iPhones sell out quickly. That is why Apple has played the opposite game by cutting prices and ultimately making its cheapest device of all time, the iPhone SE 2020. If we trust the prices in the report, we could easily assume that the Samsung Fold Lite could hit the Indian coast at a price below the psychological barrier of Rs 70,000. Also, clamshell designs were extremely popular with devices in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the likes of Nokia specialized in them. And, if Samsung manages to reignite this interest with an expensive device by Indian standards, we wouldn't be surprised if these become popular enough for others to follow suit. However, we can be sure that the society will not dare to reduce the durability of the screen and the mechanism, since they are at the heart of a foldable device. That being said, Samsung might have also postponed the launch due to the uncertainty in the current scenario. However, Samsung has a history of releasing Lite versions of the flagship series and the latest addition is rumored to be a Fan Edition of the Galaxy S20, around October. Therefore, we simply cannot rule out the possibility of a Fold Lite as the device will make more sense in markets like India where price is the arbiter of people's decision. Flip phones haven't really grown in sales due to their higher price. While the technology is still far from affordable, companies like Samsung are expected to pave the way for a wider reach of affordable foldable phones in price-sensitive markets.