Now is the perfect time for Samsung to release a cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 9 FE — and it's all because of iPhone Duo

(Image credit: Future) Foldables have been around for several years, but the recent launch of the iPhone Duo means the foldable market could be on the verge of changing in a big way. To the point where Samsung is reportedly looking to mix things up, and offer an even more diverse range of foldable-centric devices than it already does.The latest rumor claims that Samsung is currently working on a companion for the Galaxy Z Fold 9, sharing the same wider passport-shape of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. According to a leak on Korean network Naver, Samsung is testing two possible options, including a Galaxy Z Fold 9 Plus and a lower-priced Galaxy Z Fold 9 FE.I've already expressed some confusion as to how a Z Fold 9 Plus would sit between the Fold 9 and Fold 9 Ultra. But an FE-branded model? That's actually a very good idea, especially in the current climate. Just as long as Samsung doesn't mess things up, like it did with last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE.Prices are too high right now (Image credit: Tom's Guide)It's no secret that the cost of smartphones is rising, and Samsung has been one of the worst offenders when it comes to price hikes. The Galaxy S26 series was already subjected to some price hikes at launch, depending on which version you bought, only for Samsung to raise prices again at the start of October. The Z Fold 8 Ultra was also noticeably more expensive than the Z Fold 7, which was in turn more expensive than the Z Fold 6.The reason for these price hikes are obvious. The cost of phone manufacturing has been rising for a number of years, and the last 12 months have seen an explosion in the cost of RAM and storage — all thanks to the current AI boom we've been experiencing.Because of that multiple electronics companies have been forced to increase prices across the board including Samsung, Apple and Google.The key problem with foldable adoption has been that they're so darn expensive, especially if you don't have easy access to Chinese brands that (usually) charge less than their international counterparts. So if you think about it, the seemingly never-ending price hikes means that now is the perfect time to start releasing lower-cost foldables.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.The iPhone Duo has raised a lot more awareness about foldables, and could mean higher foldable adoption rates across the board. All foldable phone makers need to do is make sure their devices are accessible, and offering something with a lower price tag is one way to do that — even if it does come with some compromises.Plus, the cost of everything is going up, and there's less money to spend on luxury purchases like new smartphones. Especially ones that cost close to $2,000.Fighting increased competition (Image credit: Tom's Guide)While the launch of the iPhone Duo will help raise awareness of foldable phones, it also means that Galaxy foldables have some serious competition — possibly for the first time ever.Apple is a popular brand, and that's reflected in the fact iPhone sales outpace any other individual phone brand. Even Samsung, easily the most popular Android brand, trailed behind Apple in global market share last year.There are plenty of people out in the world who will only ever buy an iPhone, and will never even consider the possibility of switching to a rival brand — regardless of what might be on offer. But that doesn't mean convincing people to make the switch is impossible, and this means Samsung needs something that will help fight the increased competition from Apple and convince people that a Galaxy foldable is a much better option than an iPhone Duo.Considering the Duo starts at $2,000, second only in price to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the obvious solution is to start offering something even cheaper. To hook into those people who saw the iPhone Duo, but were unwilling to pay quite so much money to experience what foldable phones have to offer.The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is already slightly cheaper than the Duo, especially when you can grab one on sale. But finally releasing a Fan Edition foldable at an even lower price point should help steal interest away from Apple and other foldable rivals.There could be a gap in the line-up (Image credit: Tom's Guide / John Velasco)One of the earliest rumors about the Galaxy Z 9 lineup was that Samsung may be planning on scrapping the Galaxy Z Flip 9. At least one recent rumor has refuted that, but considering its been fairly persistent, there may be some truth to the claims.Plus, considering Samsung has basically neglected the Z Flip series for the past few generations, and the relative popularity of book-style foldables, it's no surprise that they might turn around and can the whole thing.If that does end up being the case, then Samsung will have a very large gap in its lineup. Not just because it might be killing off one of its long-term staples, but because the Z flip series has always been more of a lower-cost option for foldable users to consider.Admittedly, $1,199 is still pretty expensive as far as smartphones go. It's the same price as the Galaxy S26 Plus, and $100 more than the Plus cost when it launched at the start of the year. For your money you get slower charging, worse battery life, lower durability and a bunch of other compromises that are cut in order to pay for the folding screen.Still, the Z Flip series offered a cheaper alternative to the expensive Z Fold lineup. Without it, the base cost of a Galaxy foldable would shoot up to whatever the Z Fold 9 costs. I would bet money that it'll end up costing at least $1,900, or $100 more than the Z Fold 8.But if there's a Z Fold 9 FE, then suddenly the cost of entry isn't quite so expensive. I doubt it'll be as cheap as the Z Flip 9 would have cost, but at least it lowers the barrier of entry for more frugally-minded folks.Samsung just needs to not mess it up (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The actual success of a Z Fold 9 FE is all dependent on what Samsung actually does with it, and the kind of sacrifices that have to be made in order to keep the cost low. Last time that happened we ended up with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, which was quite stripped down compared to the Z Flip 7.Considering the Z Flip 7 wasn't all that impressive either just shows how disappointing the Fan Edition model was. More so when you remember that it started at $899, which was just $200 cheaper than its full edition sibling.The price of a Z Fold 9 FE needs to reflect the compromises involved, and those compromises need to ensure that the user experience isn't hampered in any meaningful way. This means Samsung actually needs to put thought and care into the design of this hypothetical phone, otherwise we're going to end up with another damp squib that might as well have never been released.But considering the job it did with the Z Fold 8 and the Fold 8 Ultra, I have better hopes for the possibility of a Z Fold 9 FE being done well. Or, at the very least, done better than the Z Flip 7 FE was. We only have to hope that Samsung doesn't pick the Z Fold 9 Plus instead. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. More from Tom's Guide24 hours with the iPhone Duo — here are my 5 immediate takeawaysI’ve tested the iPhone Duo, Galaxy Z Fold 8, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and Razr Fold — here’s the foldable phone I recommendIs your iPhone listening to you? The 'live listen' setting you should check right now Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.