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The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is great but Samsung needs a cheaper big foldable

By Richard Priday published 4 September 2022 Spending time with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has made me want a cheaper Samsung foldable more than ever (Image credit: Future) Samsung's made its finest foldable yet with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It's even won me over with new cameras that are worthy of a flagship Samsung phone. But the main thing that stops me from singing this phone's praises to anyone in need of a new phone is something Samsung didn't change from the Galaxy Z Fold 3: the price. It's why in the next year or two, more than making some major upgrades to the existing premium Z Fold and Z Flip models, Samsung really needs to bring out a cheaper folding phone. This has been rumored before as a sub-$800 device, but rumors aren't enough. It needs to become reality, and fast. Of course, if you want a cheaper Samsung foldable now, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is right there. Except not quite, since the Z Flip uses its folding powers to make a regular phone smaller, rather than expand on a phone's abilities like the Z Fold models do. The Z Fold 4 does a much better job of showing off the foldable segment's potential than the Z Flip 4 does with its multi-window app interface, taskbar, stylus support, and fully functional outer display. They're the reasons I am still using the Z Fold 4, and I think also the things that would entice new users too if only the hardware wasn't so darn expensive. The obvious way to make a cheaper foldable would be to trim off as many premium features as possible. Remove the under-display camera and rear telephoto camera, using lower resolution displays inside and out and making the overall phone smaller would be a good start. While I wouldn't want Samsung to replace the cover display with a notification window like the Z Flip has, it may be a worthwhile sacrifices since you'd still get the expansive inner display that defines the Z Fold. While I wouldn't want Samsung to replace the cover display with a notification window like the Z Flip has, or to ditch the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 for a less powerful Exynos processor, they may be worthwhile sacrifices too since you'd still get the expansive inner display experience that defines the Z Fold. A price drop for foldables is inevitable especially as more companies start making them, and the technology and parts required to build them fall in cost too. But Samsung needs to get ahead now while it can. It already has competitors like the Oppo Find N, which fortunately for Samsung, is stuck as a China-exclusive device for now. But rumored foldables like the Google Pixel Fold and iPhone Flip won't be rumors forever. So the forward-thinking thing for Samsung to do would be to widen its foldable offerings, rather than stick to selling the Z Fold and Z Flip for as much as it can get away with. Samsung can also easily take care of the branding of this new cheap foldable. Maybe stick an A or FE on the name like the Galaxy A53 or Galaxy S21 FE to make it clear that this won't be a full-fledged Galaxy Z experience. But I really hope we'll see a cheap full-size foldable from Samsung in the coming year that costs less than a grand. We're living at a time where it's difficult to justify upgrading to regular flagship phones, so the only way we're going to have a mainstream foldables revolution is if Samsung quits resting on its ultra-premium laurels and provides shoppers with a well-priced folding phone. Read next: Move over, foldables - Motorola just showed off rollable phone concept.Today's best Google Pixel Buds 2 deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)No price information (opens in new tab)Check Amazon (opens in new tab)We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

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Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Richard PridayStaff WriterRichard is a Tom's Guide staff writer based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee. More about smartphones Apple just confirmed that more ads are hitting the App Store Google Pixel 7 Pro reviewLatest Forget Pixel 7: Google Pixel 6a just got Black Friday cheap at $299See more latest ► Topics Smartphones See all comments (0) No comments yet Comment from the forums MOST READMOST SHARED1F1 United States Grand Prix live stream - how to watch the race free and online right now2Padres vs Phillies live streams 2022: How to watch NLCS Game 5 online, start time3Daily Quordle #272 - answers and hints for Sunday, October 234SleepOvation mattress review (2022)5iPad Air 4 crashes to $469 before Black Friday - and it's better than the new iPad1I just tried Jessica Alba's full-body workout - here's what happened2Black Friday deals 2022 - date and best early sales3Forget Pixel 7: Google Pixel 6a just got Black Friday cheap at $2994F1 United States Grand Prix live stream - how to watch the race free and online right now5Padres vs Phillies live streams 2022: How to watch NLCS Game 5 online, start time