The $300 Galaxy Fold: The cheapest way to get a taste of Samsung's foldable future (and past)

Despite the fact that a record 14.2 million units of foldable smartphones were shipped in 2022 (with Samsung shipping over 11 million), and that a brand new IDC report estimates total foldable phone shipments worldwide to reach 48 million units by 2027, foldable phones are by no means becoming mainstream anytime soon. In fact, many share the opinion that foldable phones might never become the norm.

And yet, if you’re somewhat adventurous when it comes to phones, you probably couldn’t give a flying shoot about the foldable phone market; how many foldables Samsung sold, or how many the company will sell in 2027. You just want to give the foldable form-factor a try!

But here’s the thing… I’m not paying $1,000-1,800 for a phone just because it folds in half. In fact, I’m not paying over $1,000 for… any phone (that’s a different topic). However, what if trying out your first foldable phone didn’t cost more than buying a budget Android device - even in times of a global financial crisis and higher phone prices?

Well, what’s waiting on the other side isn't simply a clamshell Samsung foldable phone with great reputation, but also one of the best (used) phone deals around - of course, if you really want to try something different.