Samsung Cuts Down The Price Of Their Folding Phone Because It's Less Attracting, Will It Lose To Apple?

Samsung launched a price-slashing strategy when its foldable phone was less in demand. (Doc. Samsung)

JAKARTA - Samsung has just launched a deadly duo of folding phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but at a fairly affordable price. This makes everyone wonder, what is Samsung is planning.

Quoting ABC News, Thursday, August 12, the company hopes that a cheaper but more durable version of its foldable phone will expand its consumer appeal, because Samsung has often presented high-concept designs, at high prices, thus disappointing consumers.

The South Korea-based tech giant yesterday launched its efforts to turn things around, with two new products designed to support the various functionalities of its users.

The larger Galaxy Z Fold 3 boasts a 7.6-inch display and retails for USD 1.800, down 10 percent from last year's model. Another device, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 with a 6.7-inch display, costs USD 1.000, down as much as 25 percent below the price of last year's original model.

Since releasing its first foldable phone in 2019, Samsung has touted the technology as a breakthrough that will spur more consumers to splurge on a new phone instead of sticking with an older device.

But according to International Data Corp (IDC), the foldable model has barely made a splash in the smartphone market, with only about 2 million devices shipped last year. In contrast to the 1.3 billion smartphones shipped worldwide last year.

“What really holds back the mass consumption of this foldable device is its high price. Most people really don't see the need for it. At least nothing justifies paying an extra thousand dollars", said IDC analyst Nabila Popal.

On the one hand, Popal believes that the cheap price of Samsung's folding phones will not spark consumers' intentions to buy phones with regular models. That's one reason IDC projects only a slight increase in foldable phone shipments this year, to around 6 million to 7 million devices.

In addition to the high price tag, sales have been hampered by doubts about whether the foldable device will last. Those concerns have loomed over Samsung's foldable lineup since delaying the release of the first model in 2019 to fix issues with protruding screens and screen errors.

Samsung has equipped its latest foldable phone with more durable and water-resistant glass to reduce the chances of the device being damaged. The phone is also compatible with the popular S Pen stylus for the first time, this is Samsung's strategy to woo customers who are accustomed to using digital writing instruments on Samsung's older Note and Galaxy phones.

Another advancement that Samsung has brought is that nearly 50 of the top 100 mobile apps are present on its foldable model phones. These improvements have prompted Samsung to make foldable phones its flagship product during the second half of the year. However, it is uncertain whether the prestige of Samsung's folding model phone will last when other manufacturers such as Apple, Xiaomi, and OPPO will also launch folding phones in the coming year.