When it comes to smartphones, foldable devices are the fancy stuff. Although they function similarly to regular smartphones, the way they can fold is a novelty that hasn’t quite gotten stale yet. These days, many companies have foldable devices, with big brands like Samsung leading the front on innovation.
Unfortunately, none of these devices are cheap. Even the foldable flip phones are RM4000 and above, with the larger ones priced between RM7000 to RM8000. That leaves a gap in the market for more affordable options, which we might (hopefully) see more of in the future. But what tech specs would a phone like that have? Here’s what we think you can expect from a sub-RM3000 mid-range foldable flip phone.
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Display
The display is likely one of the most expensive parts of a foldable phone like the OPPO N2 Flip above
Most foldable devices use high-end AMOLED displays with high refresh rates, which are more expensive to manufacture. In that case, an affordable mid-range foldable phone would have less impressive specs in three areas to reduce cost: Size, resolution, and refresh rate. For example, it could be a modest 6.1-inch screen with a max resolution of 2340×1080 and a refresh rate between 60-90Hz. Another option is to eliminate the use of a cover display, thus reducing production costs further.
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Chipset
If a brand wants to release a mid-range foldable, it could have a chipset like the older Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 or Dimensity 8200. Companies can further reduce production costs by using their existing inventory of chipsets instead of making new ones like perhaps even the former flagship Snapdragon 888. The savings from cutting production costs could, hopefully, result in lower retail prices.
Going for a last-gen chipset is a great way to reduce cost
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Battery
Smaller capacity batteries could help too (photo from Parilov/Shutterstock.com)
Since the phone is to have a 6.1-inch screen and a mid-range chipset, there’s no need for it to have too large a battery. Even existing foldable flip phones on the market only have batteries under 4000mAh. But manufacturers can opt for a battery between 3000-3400mAh for a mid-range foldable phone. That would allow for a size that should fit a smaller phone and also reduce costs.
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Memory (Storage & RAM)
Next, companies can use lower capacities for RAM and storage. For instance, the mid-range foldable phone could have 6-8GB of LPDDR5 RAM. As for storage, 128GB would be more than enough for most users. Companies can also opt for the older version 3.0 Universal Flash Storage (UFS), which should be cheaper than the latest version 4.0 to manufacture.
Using previous gen RAM and storage chips should
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Cameras
A lower-end dual-camera setup could be best
Moving on, we have the cameras. As you may have noticed, foldable flip phones only have two cameras at the back. That’s due to size constraints, which limit the sensor size and number of sensors that can be installed. But to reduce production costs, phone manufacturers can also go for mid-range sensors like an older 64MP sensor for the main camera and 5MP/8MP sensor for the ultra-wide camera. As for the front camera, it could be a simple 8MP sensor.
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Closing thoughts
So, these are the components we think you can expect in a foldable flip phone that costs under RM3000 in 2023. Of course, there could be other areas that brands can look at to reduce cost, like using a plastic body.
To reiterate, here’s the tech specs we’d expect for such a foldable flip phone, but who knows, perhaps brands like Samsung, Xiaomi and others might be able to do even better, after all, they’d be able to reduce costs thanks to bulk or scale.
- 6.1-inch FHD AMOLED display with 60 – 90Hz refresh rate
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 / Mediatek Dimensity 8200 chipset
- 3000 – 3400 mAh battery
- 6 – 8GB LPDDR5 RAM | 128GB UFS 3.0 storage
- 50MP / 60MP + 5MP / 8MP dual rear camera | 8MP front camera
But what would you like to see from an affordable foldable phone? Let us know in the comments on our Facebook page, and stay tuned to TechNave for more articles like this.
