When choosing a new smartphone, we often pay attention to its price, among other things. That is why, when they tell us that some new product costs 2,000 dollars, we grin a little, twist our finger to our temples and, of course, refuse to buy. So it happened with foldable smartphones. It's completely useless to argue that technologically foldable smartphones are super cool. But this technology has not yet become something truly massive, and manufacturers will not recoup the money spent on development. It becomes all the more interesting when there is news about the imminent release of a more affordable clamshell. This happens with the Lite version of the Galaxy Fold. Now there is new evidence of its existence and imminent release.
A foldable smartphone can be inexpensive.
Cheap foldable smartphone
Earlier in the news feeds already appeared information that Samsung is really preparing an inexpensive foldable device. Now the official website of the company has a support page for this device. This once again confirms the imminent appearance of such a device on the market. Otherwise, why launch a page like this?
Samsung's official website in India recently posted a support page for a smartphone with model number SM-F415F. Although nothing was known about the model with this number until that moment. Only one thing is clear – the letter “F” in the name of the model speaks volumes and confirms the attitude of the smartphone to the folding line.
Samsung has used “F” model numbers for its Galaxy Z series foldable phones from the beginning. The Galaxy Fold has model numbers SM-F900, while the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold 2 have model numbers SM-F700 and SM-F916, respectively. Based on this logic, the SM-F415F should be the Korean company's budget foldable phone. We can even assume that it should cost several hundred dollars less than the Galaxy Z Flip.
Samsung clamshell specifications
This undeclared foldable Samsung model received Wi-Fi Alliance certification earlier this month with the same model number. This listing confirms Android 10 based software, dual band Wi-Fi b / g / n / ac and Wi-Fi Direct, and dual SIM support.
Someday everyone will have such phones.
Samsung not only posted a support page for its foldable budget smartphone, but confirmed rumors that have been circulating for a couple of months now. They talked not only about the release of a budget model, but were much more optimistic and predicted at least three new foldable smartphones. Now we can say that their release is planned in the very near future.
Those three models could be the Galaxy Z Fold Lite, Galaxy Z Fold S and Galaxy Z Fold 3. Although the Z Fold 3 is likely to be the successor to the Z Fold 2, which will be released in a few days. The Z Fold S is rumored to be more than just a clamshell variant, but also Samsung's first foldable S Pen device. Needless to say, it certainly won't be a budget phone like the Galaxy Z Fold Lite.
What will be the new foldable Samsung
Based on the above, we can assume that the new smartphone labeled SM-F415F will be the Z Fold Lite. Other options are possible, but this one is the most likely. The very mention of the word 'Lite' in the title is already a sign of a budget flagship. However, there is always the possibility that Samsung has a fourth foldable device in the works. Although, where else? But the company has repeatedly shown that it is trying to occupy all price niches and even those that overlap with each other.
If Samsung can make a foldable smartphone inexpensive, it will be another technology revolution.
There is no need to talk about the technical characteristics of the new smartphone yet. But we can assume that with a high degree of probability it will have 64 GB and 128 GB of memory. Samsung can offer this phone in black, blue and green colors. This phone can also use a flexible thin plastic panel (CPI). Samsung's more expensive foldable devices, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 2, use ultra-thin glass (UTG) panels, but these are expensive and the budget employee should get something simpler.
The South Korean company may sell this phone for under $ 1,000. Rumor has it that it will be powered by a Snapdragon 700 series processor. However, none of these reports have been officially confirmed except that there is a Samsung phone with model number SM-F415F. The support pages on the official website also indicate that the device will launch very soon.
Samsung is currently gearing up to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The company recently sent out an online invitation to an event in conjunction with the event. It will take place on September 1 this year. To make everything clear and none of the journalists or just technology fans had any questions, it was named Unpacked Part 2. Let's see what this second part of the unboxing brings us (apart from a little more information about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2). I will only add that the event will be available live on Samsung.com at 10:00 am ET (5:00 pm Moscow time) on Tuesday.