Samsung obviously has the Galaxy Z Fold6, which could be released at the Galaxy Unpacked event this summer. With the growing popularity of foldable phones, it's very easy for Samsung to keep updating 1 of the more established devices in that category.

It's not very clear whether google plans a cheaper, thinner model along with the main Galaxy Z Fold6. Previous reports indicated that the Galaxy Z Fold6FE was included in Samsung's plans this year, but the latest rumors suggest that no cheaper models have occurred.

A new report from TheElec says Samsung is re-evaluating its plans to release a cheaper Galaxy Z Fold6 this year. Initial reports suggested that Samsung would launch a cheaper Z Fold6 without the s pen feature. The Galaxy Z Fold6FE would also have been a bit thinner than the high-end model. 

Dropping the S pen seems to be a logical way to reduce costs without compromising the core functionality of Z Fold. The big foldable requires strong specs to handle the multitasking that users expect, so it would have been wise for Samsung to stick to its high-end chips and large amounts of RAM on its cheaper models. 

If it came out, the cheaper phone was also reported to have an IPX8 and a 200,000-fold rating. It looks like Samsung didn't plan to make the cut here, as this is the same rating as the Galaxy Z Fold5 (and probably the one offered by Z Fold6).

In any case, if the Galaxy Z Fold6FE is actually canceled, it's not possible to know how Samsung has made plans to cut costs this year. According to the report, Samsung has not been able to make the cheaper version thinner than the devices offered by rival Chinese companies. Insufficient product differentiation and market uncertainty have also been mentioned as reasons for Samsung to move away from cheaper models. 

In this news, the big folding smartphone remains prohibitively expensive for most buyers, and the Galaxy Z Fold5 will still start at starting1,799. We expect the Z Fold6 to maintain a similar price when it launches later this year. 

Once the z Fold5 is officially launched, there will always be an option to get a discounted Z Fold6, but for those who want the latest and best models, there will be a premium