Foldable smartphones have been known to be niche products. Not all brands offer them, though; if they do, they’re expensive. 2023, however, has introduced us to more foldables, only this time, they’re more affordable. We all know that the word “affordable” is subjective, but if we’re going to ask you, what should be the reasonable price?
What Makes Foldable Smartphones Expensive?
One of the reasons why foldable smartphones are expensive is because of the degree of complications required to build a foldable smartphone. The screen and the folding mechanism are just two of the most obvious reasons, as it has to have the capability to fold and be durable enough to last. Next is the internal hardware. It has to have enough processing power to push the features of a foldable phone. That’s why most of them sport flagship chipsets. Then there’s the software. The interface must be tweaked to give the user a good experience worthy of owning a foldable smartphone. All of these factors contribute to the price of the end product.
Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and Flip line has been the benchmark of foldables for quite a while now. Their latest Flip will cost you at least PHP 65K, while the Fold starts at PHP 99K. Can we expect competitors to price it the same way? Not really.
Recently, OPPO launched the Find N2 Flip (clamshell) for just PHP 50K, while Tecno launched the Phantom V Fold (a full foldable) for PHP 60K. Yes, they’re still expensive, but if you compare it to Samsung’s prices, they’re “affordable.”
Returning to the question, what is the reasonable price for a foldable smartphone? While we can dream and mention a ridiculously low price (Like what? Around 30K?), we all know that’s impossible. But brands like OPPO and Tecno can bring the price down, and we can expect that trend to continue as long there’s enough competition.
I think PHP 50K is a reasonable price for now. Around PHP 40K may be a long shot as we must consider quality. But hey, we’re all free to dream.
How about you? What do you think is a reasonable price for a foldable smartphone? Let us know in the comments.
