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Electronics company TCL is suspending plans to release a lower-cost foldable phone this year, the company confirmed in an email to The edge. Its foldable flip phone, named Project Chicago, was in development when the company made the decision to put it on indefinite hold. According to TCL, the delay is due in part to rising production costs and supply chain shortages.
“Although the foldable market grows every year, it is still a premium product category,” Stefan Streit, TCL marketing director said in a statement.o The edge. “In combination with recent component shortages, the COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing foldable production costs, TCL has made the difficult decision to suspend the launch of its first commercially available foldable smartphone until the company can produce and market it at a price accessible to the greatest number of consumers.
Streit added that the company is “closely monitoring the market to determine the best time to launch a foldable smartphone.”
The company handed out a few sample devices to reviewers (it looks like MrMobile got their hands on one), but said it didn’t have any additional devices available, or photos of Chicago to share.
The news comes a few weeks after the launch of Samsung’s latest foldable devices: the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 (TCL decided to suspend its Chicago device ahead of Samsung’s launch). the price range; the Flip 3 costs $ 999 and the Fold 3 is priced at $ 1,799.
TCL showcased a few foldable prototypes last year, and even earlier this year at CES 2021, along with a “rollable” screen design. In April, TCL introduced a Fold ‘n Roll device that could upgrade from a 6.87-inch phone screen to an 8.85-inch phablet or 10-inch tablet.
The company says it’s not ditching the foldable product category, but has no deadline for when its first foldable device could be commercially available.
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