You might actually be able to afford a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 this year

Samsung is set to unveil the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 at its Galaxy Unpacked event next month, but a third, cheaper foldable might be making an appearance in the form of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Lite.

 Rumor has it that the this year's foldables will debut at a lower price than their predecessors – around 20% cheaper by comparison. But there's word of a Galaxy  Z Flip 3 Lite in the works, which could give the clamshell the perfect advantage over the slew of other foldable devices set to launch this year.   

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This titbit comes from the Korea Herald which cites "industry sources" that have tipped off the outlet to the existence of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Lite. This model will be more affordable than the standard version, although it doesn't get into the specifics of which features Samsung is cutting to hit that price point. Obviously none of that is verified, and rumors of Lite models abound when it comes to Samsung, so take that with a pinch of salt. 

Meanwhile, SamMobile – which reported on the 20% price drop – has added that the smartphones will be even cheaper thanks to "new promos with generous pre-order incentives." So you could save even more than the $400 we're already  (possibly) in store for. One of those incentives is going to be squarely aimed at consumers who already own Samsung phones. According to the site, the promotion will offer a "significant" trade-in value for its own brand of smartphones to be used with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3.       

It also adds that like last year's Thom Browne edition Galaxy Z Flip 3, we can look forward to another special edition this year, but it'll be available in a slightly different time frame compared to the standard variant.  

The company's foldables are not cheap by any means, but that hasn't stopped Samsung from taking a big chunk of the foldables market – its Fold and Flip devices accounted for an 87% share of the global market in 2020. But with competitors snapping at its heels this year, Samsung is going to have to address the price if it wants to keep people interested and make its smartphones a viable option for people.