Ah, foldable phones. Always touted as the next thing in mobile innovation. Sadly, we always know how exorbitantly expensive they are, especially when we have consistently strong competitors in the mid-range segment.
Unless they don’t have to be.
Might still depend on your definition, of course. But we already have a fair selection of competitively cheap foldable phones, and here are your best fresh (brand new) selections at the start of 2024.
Tecno Phantom V Flip – $600
Release Date: October 01, 2023 (In Asian countries, with a focus on India) Weight: 194 g
OS: HIOS 13.5 (Android 13)
Screen size: 6.9-inches
Resolution: 1080×2640
CPU: Dimensity 8050 RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB Battery: 4000 mAh
Rear camera: 64MP + 13MP
Front camera: 32MP
Price: Starts at $600
If you are looking for brand new, this phone is hands down, the cheapest foldable phone that you can get. Build quality is actually solid, almost rivaling other competing foldables above the four-digit price line. Performance is a mixed bag when compared with pricier competitors. , but the specs are still modern enough that convenience and speed of access remain competitive.
Motorola Razr 2023 – $699
Release Date: June 05, 2023 Weight: 184.5 g
OS: Android 13
Screen size: 6.9 inches
Resolution: 1080×2640
CPU: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 RAM: 8 GB/ 12 GB
Storage: 256 GB/512 GB Battery: 3800 mAh
Rear camera: 12MP + 13MP
Front camera: 32MP
Price: Starts at $699
Also known as the Razr 40 Ultra, it is essentially just a price-lowered version of the original Razr, with a few spec tweaks befitting of the year it was released. In terms of innovation, almost nothing really changed, and can in fact be considered “outdated”. Despite this, performance is still rock solid in terms of features and accessibility, making it one of the cheapest gateway to the land of foldable.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 – Now $727
Release Date: August 25, 2022 Weight: 187 g
OS: Android 12, upgradeable to Android 13 (One UI 5.1)
Screen size: 6.7 inches
Resolution: 1080×2640
CPU: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB Battery: 3700 mAh
Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP
Front camera: 10MP
Price: Starts at $727 (When launched, it retailed for $1000).
Yup. As of 2024, the older Flip 4 is actually sold now at prices much lower than its original price, or at least its latest iteration. Compared to the Phantom V Flip, a few hardware sacrifices were made here and there, particularly when it comes to storage options. But as we all know, it still remains a solid choice, and a very competitive alternative to get into cheap foldable phones.
You can also buy the Galaxy Z Flip 5 on Amazon, this is the latest edition and it retails for $874.99.
Huawei Pocket S
Release Date: November 11, 2022 (In China) Weight: 190 g
OS: HarmonyOS 3.0
Screen size: 6.9 inches
Resolution: 1188×2790
CPU: Snapdragon 778G 4G RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB Battery: 4000 mAh
Rear camera: 40MP + 13MP
Front camera: 10MP
Price: Starts at $800
The junior version of the P50 Pocket takes our last but not least place for the cheapest foldable Android phones in 2024. It all boils down to the same story as the Flip 4: having a kick-ass price, while still being commercially available for the specs that it has. Technically “outdated”? Maybe. Still got the usual Huawei phone limitations? Well, yeah. But for modern use, it’s still more than enough for your entry-level foldable experience.
Tecno Phantom V Fold
Release Date: April 12, 2023 (In Asia) Weight: 299 g
OS: HIOS 13 Fold (Android 13)
Screen size: 7.85 inches
Resolution: 2200×2296
CPU: Dimensity 9000+ RAM: 12 GB
Storage: 256 GB/512 GB Battery: 5000 mAh
Rear camera: 50MP + 50MP + 13MP
Front camera: 16MP + 32MP
Price: Starts at $1000
Finally, Take all of the good technical (software performance) points of the Phantom V Flip, and translate it to a more vertical form factor. Oh and, tweak some of the hardware values such as the screen resolution higher, and you basically get the Phantom V Fold. As a result of the base higher specs, it jumps to the four-digit range. Though if pitted with similar form factor models, it still stands as the cheapest.
Conclusion
There you have it, the cheapest foldable Android phones so far in 2024! Please note not all of these phones are readily available in the US. At the time of writing, the Motorola Razr 2023 is your best bet.
