Samsung’s Exciting Budget Foldable Phone Finally Revealed

Samsung is reportedly gearing up to introduce its budget-friendly foldable phone under the “Fan Edition” title later this year. Recent whispers hint at the development of a Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and we might have a first glimpse of its design.

The team at SammyGuru, along with tipster OnLeaks, have unveiled what they assert are CAD-based renders of the upcoming device, complemented by a video showcasing it from various angles. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE appears set to mimic the design aesthetics of the standard Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Staying Close to Home

According to the latest leaks, the entry-level foldable is expected to feature a 3.4-inch cover display and a 6.7-inch inner foldable screen. The FE variant may have a slightly narrower and thicker build compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, measuring 7.4mm instead of 6.9mm.

Samsung is expected to utilize an armor aluminum chassis for the device, alongside offering seven years of Android operating system upgrades. The anticipated debut is during the next Unpacked event, which will also likely see the announcement of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and its Flip counterpart, both exhibiting a refined design.

Samsung's budget-focused foldable might be powered by the Exynos 2400e chip, a slightly toned-down edition of the Exynos 2400. Built on a 4nm process, the major difference lies in the marginally slower Cortex-X4 Prime core.

This chip has already been successfully used in the Galaxy S24 FE, yielding reliable performance according to our evaluations. For the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7, it seems likely that Samsung will opt for Qualcomm’s premier Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.

The Biggest Mystery

Details on the pricing of the device remain elusive. However, an informed guess suggests it could be priced below $1,000, potentially enabling Samsung to tap into a broader audience of foldable phone enthusiasts.

Currently, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 carries a price tag of $1,100 in the U.S., while Motorola's Razr 50 starts at approximately $700. Even Motorola's higher-end Ultra model costs $100 less than Samsung's offering.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers tend to adopt even more aggressive pricing strategies. For instance, the Nubia Flip is priced at a mere $500, and BlackView's clamshell-style foldable phone shares a similar price point. It will be interesting to see how low Samsung can go and whether it can surpass Motorola in terms of pricing.