Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold6 Special Edition, the second foldable release from the company for the year. Although the device had a limited launch in South Korea and China, it is making a buzz on the internet, thanks to the upgraded 200MP primary camera, minimal display crease, and sleeker design. Although the phone doesn"t come with S-Pen support, it still comes with an ultra-premium price tag.
Following the launch of its new foldable, Samsung confirmed to South Korean publication SisaJournal that it has no plans to launch a cheaper Galaxy Z Fold smartphone. Samsung says, "Rather than thinking of [Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition] as a premium product, it’s a product released to expand your options. You can choose according to your taste. As of now, we have no plans to release a separate product with a lower price."
Samsung has been bumping the prices of its smartphones, reaching new heights. With the Galaxy Z Fold6 this year, Samsung breached the $2000 price point. This high price tag is something that is considered to be a barrier for the product to become popular. The price difference between the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold6 Special Edition (512GB) and the global Galaxy Z Fold6 (512GB) costs is roughly around $300.
While Samsung is shooting the prices, Chinese foldable manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, and Honor are eating the market share by emphasizing cost-effectiveness. The foldables from Chinese OEMs are not only cost-effective but are also thin compared to Samsung"s foldables.
Additionally, a report by Counterpoint Research shows that Huawei ranked first in the global foldable market with a 35% market share, with Samsung coming second with a 23% share and Xiaomi with a 12% share indicating that Samsung is getting sandwiched between Chinese players. It will be interesting to see for how long Samsung could hold onto its strategy of not releasing a cheaper foldable.