Galaxy Fold 2 too expensive? Galaxy Fold Special Edition will be $900 cheaper
Samsung Galaxy Fold to get major discount before Galaxy Fold 2 launch
Samsung's Galaxy Fold will be getting a Special Edition as a last hurrah before we see the Galaxy Fold 2. It won't have any new features, but it will be getting a major price drop.
This is the latest in a line of Samsung-related leaks from Ross Young, a display analyst who has won the respect of other major smartphone leakers. You can read his tweet below, which reveals the headline-grabbing drop in price from $1,980 to $1,099.
- Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 release date, price, specs and leaks
- Check out our Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review
To clear out Galaxy Fold 1 inventory before the Galaxy Fold 2 is launched, Samsung will announce the Galaxy Fold Special Edition in July at a price around $1099. Quantities will be limited to ~55K worldwide. It should look just like the Galaxy Fold 1. Great price!May 13, 2020
While it seems a bit sly of Samsung to sell old stock with a new name in order to empty its warehouses, the $900 drop in price actually makes it a bit more palatable. Plus, getting a hold of this limited product (only 55,000 units will be sold globally) could be enticing for phone enthusiasts. Then again, for $300 more you can get a much more competent foldable in the form of the $1,400 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, or the Galaxy S20 Ultra if you want the best of what Samsung currently has to offer.
It's a pity that, again according to Young, the only difference between the original Galaxy Fold and the Special Edition is the price. While we liked the large internal display and the multitasking opportunities that the the original Fold provided, we took issue with the camera performance and the size of the closed device.
$2,000 is certainly far too much for most people to pay for a phone to begin with, let alone one with notable flaws like the first Galaxy Fold. But again, that price drop makes those issues a little easier to swallow.
However, we've also heard rumors of the Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite, which is expected to launch alongside the Galaxy Fold 2. This will cost the same as this alleged Galaxy Fold Special Edition, but will use newer components, such as a Snapdragon 865 chipset and a new external display design that's more similar to the Z Flip than the original Fold. If you've got $1,099 to spend on a new foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold Lite may be the one to wait for.
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Richard is 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.