Much-needed competition in the foldable phone space has been officially ruled out for now. TCL’s Chicago project, a potential competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip3, is on hold for release indefinitely.

The company says a variety of factors are playing into the delay, including the ongoing coronavirus-induced struggles in the supply and production chain – the most acute of those involving computer chips. Incurring costs associated with these problems would not have been compatible with a lower-priced market strategy, which TCL wanted.

“TCL remains committed to investing in flexible display technologies,” said Stefan Streit, TCL Marketing Director, “and is closely monitoring the market to determine the best time to launch a foldable smartphone”.

The decision to keep was made before Flip3’s announcement – although product information circulated for months before August 11. There has never been a specific timeline as to when a foldable would be released to the public, despite the many teases we’ve reported. at trade shows over the years.

The phone is the subject of some valuable editorial videos posted on YouTube today. Mr. Mobile’s Michael Fisher mentions Chicago’s plastic construction with an aluminum frame and speculates a potential market price of between $ 700 and $ 900, lower than the Flip3’s $ 1,000.

Questions remain for TCL if it can come out with a more affordable foldable phone than Samsung – which has unmatched R&D weight and scale of production in this specific space – and, if it’s not too late to be adopted. eagerly, when?