Key Takeaways
1. Samsung is developing a budget-friendly version of the Galaxy Fold, called the Galaxy Wide Fold, to compete with the Galaxy Z Flip series.
2. A recent patent suggests Samsung is exploring a flip phone with a unique, smaller round cover display.
3. The evolution of Samsung’s cover displays shows a trend from no display to a full touchscreen, and now potentially back to a smaller design.
4. The new model’s pricing will depend on its specifications, with hopes for a price around $600 to $700.
5. The upcoming model will be compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, which currently has a larger cover display and is priced at $900.
Samsung is developing a more affordable option to its Galaxy Z Fold lineup, which is currently referred to as the Galaxy Wide Fold. The company has officially acknowledged the creation of a budget-friendly Galaxy Fold, making it comparable to the Galaxy Z Flip series, which already includes a lower-cost variant – the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE (available on Amazon). Interestingly, it seems that Samsung might be considering an even cheaper choice.
Insight from Patents
While patents don’t always provide the complete picture, they often hint at what a company might be planning. Recently, 91Mobiles found a patent from Samsung for a flip phone featuring a unique cover display. This patent was submitted on May 20, 2024, and was officially registered just a few days ago on March 3.
Evolution of Display Features
To give some background, Samsung’s initial Galaxy Z Flip did not include any cover display, and its successor only had a small one with limited capabilities. Starting with the Galaxy Z Flip 5, nearly the entire cover became a touchscreen. With this new patent, Samsung might be considering a return to a smaller, round cover display.
The images depict a Z Flip device with a compact round display positioned next to the cameras on the cover. This display appears to be bordered by the rest of the cover, which 91Mobiles suggests might actually be another display. However, it seems more likely that the patent illustrates a single round display. If this concept becomes a real product, the smaller cover display could contribute to making it a more budget-friendly clamshell foldable. When unfolded, the device resembles a standard Galaxy Z Flip.
Future Comparisons
It’ll be intriguing to see how this new model compares with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. The FE features a sizable cover display, so a smaller version could potentially reduce the price even more. Ultimately, this will hinge on the specifications that Samsung selects. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is priced at $900 (currently $628 on Amazon at the time of writing), so a Samsung flip phone at around $700 or even $600 would be quite thrilling.
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