Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G might be cheaper than you think

Along with the Galaxy Fold sequel, widely expected to legally change its name to Galaxy Z Fold 2, as well as the thoroughly leaked Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, there’s also a 5G-enabled derivation of Samsung’s first-ever vertically folding smartphone that was always rumored for an official announcement at next month’s virtual Unpacked event.

Although the Galaxy Z Flip 5G and Z Fold 2 have never exactly been the world’s best-kept secrets, today is the very first time we’re seeing a reliable source tackle the retail pricing matter both in detail and with specificity. While these flexible powerhouses are obviously not set to be what we’d conventionally view as cheap, their starting prices sound pretty much in line with their sophisticated designs and state-of-the-art specifications and nothing above that level.

According to anonymous insiders quoted by the almost always dependable Korean publication ETNews, the “store price” of the undoubtedly 5G-capable Galaxy Fold 2, aka Z Fold 2, is “temporarily set” at $1,990. That just so happens to be precisely as much as Samsung originally charged for the Galaxy Fold in its homeland, as well as a measly 10 bucks north of the US MSRP of the troubled first-gen product.

Keep in mind that the OG Galaxy Fold lacks 5G connectivity stateside, but that’s only one of a large number of “free” upgrades set to be provided by the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Compared to its predecessor, this bad boy is expected to make a giant leap in terms of durability as well with the same Ultra Thin Glass technology used by the 4G LTE-limited Galaxy Z Flip to strengthen an inherently fragile build.

Perhaps the most important changes will see the 7.3-inch main display and 4.6-inch cover screen of 2019’s Galaxy Fold bumped up in size to around 7.6 and 6.2 inches respectively, not to mention the resolution will be upgraded, the bezels almost entirely eliminated, and the primary panel equipped with 120Hz refresh rate functionality as well.

Naturally, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G will also be all-around more powerful, as well as more versatile in the imaging department than its forerunner, so all in all, that $2,000 ballpark sounds more than fair for arguably one of the world’s greatest smartphones (at least on paper) expected to be released this year.

Unfortunately, Samsung might have trouble keeping up with global demand during the first few months of availability, which isn’t stopping the company from setting a relatively ambitious annual shipment goal of 3 million units.

How much are 5G speeds, a processing power improvement, and some swanky new colors worth? Nothing, at least if we were to judge based on the rumored price of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. This is essentially identical as the Korean MSRP of the 4G model, which almost certainly means the Z Flip 5G will set you back $1,380 in the US with a Snapdragon 865 SoC under its hood.

It remains to be seen if that also means the LTE-only Snapdragon 855+ variant will be substantially discounted or entirely discontinued following the August 5 Unpacked shindig. It also remains to be seen if the Galaxy Z Flip 5G will actually be commercially released by the end of the year, as Samsung is reportedly struggling to mass-produce both this device and the Z Fold 2 5G.

That makes a 2020 debut for a lower-cost Galaxy Fold Lite version highly unlikely, although in many ways, that’s likely to prove considerably easier to put together, rehashing older and less expensive parts and components.