Survey proves most of you want a foldable — just not at full price
Source: Android Authority
Introduction
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Foldables aren’t exactly cheap thrills. Most new flagships will set you back the best part of $2,000, and the triple‑panel options are north of that mark. The price tags are understandable, even if they’re off‑putting, but they also make the idea of picking one up for $560 feel almost suspiciously reasonable. When my colleague Rita El Khoury spotted the original Google Pixel Fold going for that price and spent a week using it, she argued it might be one of the most interesting deals in tech right now. Naturally, we wanted to know if you would actually pay that much for a three‑year‑old foldable.
In her piece, Rita wasn’t exactly arguing that the 2023 device could still be a flagship killer. Her pitch was on value for money, praising the design, solid Android 16 experience, and surprisingly capable multitasking on the inner display. She did note the compromises—noticeable crease, Tensor G2 heat, and long‑term durability concerns—but concluded that it delivers most of the modern foldable experience at a fraction of today’s asking prices.
Poll results
We asked your view in the form of a poll in Rita’s article. The consensus:
- 32.5 % would pay $560 and make the Pixel Fold their daily phone.
- 21.3 % would grab it as a secondary device or just to try out foldables without spending flagship money.
- 12.9 % already own one.
- 14.4 % want the price to drop even lower before they’d bite.
- The remaining respondents wouldn’t be tempted at all.
Together, more than half of you see the appeal at this price, either as a main phone or a relatively low‑risk experiment. That’s a surprising number for a smartphone style that is already something of a niche, and it shows that most users are looking for value over perfection. For the record, the Pixel Fold is still available at this price on Amazon via the widget below.
Google Pixel Fold
Excellent cameras • Comfortable displays • Pixel‑exclusive features
MSRP: $1,799.00
Google enters the fold
Google is hitting the foldables market in style with the Google Pixel Fold. The pricey book‑style phone brings Google’s elite photography smarts to the folding form factor, plus the Tensor G2 chip, an IPX8 rating for water resistance, and a huge 7.6‑inch AMOLED 120 Hz internal display.
The comments section of Rita’s article mostly backed up the idea that price is the real game‑changer, and that stepping back a generation or two for a steal is a popular move. Reader John said he “never could justify the $1,700 or more launch prices,” but picked one up for $320 and called it “an absolutely fantastic phone,” adding that it still felt fresh in 2026. Others shared similar deals in the $379‑$480 range and praised the passport‑style design, with more than one reader saying they love the form factor.
The OG Fold isn’t the only bargain foldable on the market. One commenter chose a refurbished Galaxy Z Fold 5 instead, while Keith described a rough experience with a newer Fold model, calling it “the worst phone I ever owned.” Still, the sentiment is clear: foldable phones are tempting for many, but the four‑figure price tags make them hard to justify for a lot of budgets.