Samsung Galaxy Z Flip on sale in Australia April 3 for $2199

Foldable phones are the latest craze in mobiles, and like all cutting-edge technology they don’t come cheap. But Australia is about to get its cheapest yet.

Jack Gramenz

3 min read

March 18, 2020 - 9:00AM

Samsung Unpacked: Galaxy S20 flagship and Z Flip foldable unveiled

As two new foldable smartphones hit our shores, Australia will soon have both its cheapest foldable device as well as its most expensive.

Motorola made much ado out of having the first clamshell folding smartphone with the Motorola Razr, but weeks after it was supposed to go on sale we’re yet to see it in stores, due to production delays caused by the coronavirus outbreak in China impacting factories.

While coronavirus has now made its way to Australia, the Motorola Razr evidently has not.

Samsung last month announced its own clamshell foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip.

The Galaxy Z Flip will be the cheapest foldable smartphone but still more expensive than everything else.

That phone will be $500 cheaper than the Razr was going to be, assuming it does actually make it here.

The Z Flip is due to go on sale for $2199 on April 3. Pre-orders open on Friday.

Motorola announced last month that it is “leveraging the full strength of (its) global manufacturing and distribution networks and anticipate the Razr will be on shelf in Australia by mid to end of March.”

The race is on now to see which of them makes it to market first.

Huawei Mate Xs will be almost twice as much as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

At the Z Flip’s $2199 price it’s $200 more than the Galaxy S20 Ultra we told you was too expensive and too big earlier this month.

The Z Flip may be even more expensive but it is at least smaller, and gets even more so when you fold it in half to stash in your pocket or bag.

The new wave of foldable phones are very expensive, but that’s also part of their appeal.

“The Galaxy Z Flip is a statement piece and we can’t wait to see what Australians do with it,” Samsung vice president of mobile Garry McGregor said.

On the other end of the scale, Huawei has announced its new foldable, the Mate Xs, will also be coming to Australia soon.

Huawei’s Mate Xs will be almost twice as much as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.

The phone, a horizontally folding device that opens up into an 8-inch tablet is described by the company as a “high-end, luxury device,” which partly explains its massive price tag.

The Huawei Mate Xs is due to go on sale here April 9 for $3999, but is already available for pre-order.

It also comes with a leather envelope case Huawei values at $199, plus a free “VIP service” to help you set up the new phone.

Huawei’s local managing director Larking Huang said the phone was ”ideal for tech seekers or anyone who craves performance, design and usability”.

“Australian consumers will benefit from an unprecedented, immersive experience, all at the touch of their fingertips. Offering large dual displays, ultra-slim foldable form and all-day usage – Australians will be able to do business on the go or watch movies,” he said.

What they won’t be able to do is use any of Google’s mobile services, like the Play Store, Gmail, Drive, Maps, YouTube, and other apps Australians rely on to do business, and indeed watch movies.

Huawei was banned from using those when it was placed on a US list of “banned entities” last year.

The extra money doesn’t get you extra functionality though.

Of course if you’re feeling frivolous with your money you could throw $652 at the chance to get one of Escobar Inc’s Fold 2 smartphones.

The company was founded by narcoterrorist Pablo Escobar’s brother Roberto, who used scantily clad models in his ads targeting Samsung and Apple by name to spruik its devices.

The original Escobar Fold, eerily similar to the Royole FlexPai, appears to have never shipped, with customers who ordered that one being sent a book instead and told they’d soon get a Fold 2.

The Fold 2 looked eerily similar to the Galaxy Fold that was hastily redesigned after problems emerged shortly before launch, leaving many to wonder where the devices that had already been made would end up.

The Escobar Fold 2 Marques Brownlee got still had the Samsung branding

Some theorised that’s what the Fold 2 was, and YouTuber Marques Brownlee seemed to confirm that last week.

It appears the Escobar Fold 2 is indeed a Samsung Galaxy Fold with some gold-coloured foil covering the branding.

Whether or not you decide to gamble on a Fold 2 (in the hope it actually shows up) and then take your chances with a rebranded version of an already faulty device, is up to you.