If the last round of rumours has left you hopeful for an affordable or even an FE variant of Samsung foldable smartphones, then prepare to have it dashed by none other than the tech giant itself. According to South Korean publication JoongAng Daily, a company spokesperson said that such a device is not in development and there’s no plans for releasing a mid-range Galaxy Z model in 2024.
In case you missed it, various unofficial sources have recently suggested that Samsung is testing a lite or FE version of its foldable smartphones, with the aim of releasing it next year within the US$400 to US$500 (~RM1,864 to RM2,331) price range. It is unclear whether this applies to both of the company’s book-styled and clamshell foldables, though the latter seems to be the more plausible choice.
But as stated in the beginning, it appears any further speculation may end up fruitless as Samsung itself has outright denied this rumour. “We don’t plan to manufacture foldable smartphones that are priced in the midrange, and the latest rumours are groundless”, the spokesperson told JoongAng Daily.
Samsung’s official statement will undoubtedly leave those who’ve been hoping for a wider variety of affordable mid-range foldable smartphones disappointed. So far, the only few that are offering such devices within that particular price range are from Motorola and Tecno, though only the latter’s Phantom V Flip 5G is the only option available in Malaysia.
However, not all is lost for Samsung fans though. When asked about the possibility of the company actually considering an FE variant for its Galaxy Z phones at a much later date, the spokesperson vaguely replied with “There’s nothing decided on the matter”. It’s a long stretch, but the comment did leave a tiny bit of hope at least.
(Source: Korea JoongAng Daily)
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