It should come as no surprise that smartphones are a hot Black Friday Deals shopping item. That's a fact confirmed in a recent Consumer Trade Association Study (the non-profit that brings you CES), which found that a smartphone is the number one gift adults want to receive this year. But then things get interesting.
Of the 50% of respondents who plan to buy one of the best smartphones this holiday season, 30% of those generous people are planning to give someone a folding phone as a gift.
This may be folding phones' moment – the Black Friday when they join ranks of everything from AirPods to air fryers as must-have items – and, Samsung, the current folding device leader, is geared up, along with its retail partners, to offer some decent Black Friday foldable phone deals.
Samsung's two newest folding handsets are juggling numerous Black Friday sales.
In the US (if you're in the UK, you'll find deals just below), the cute and very pocketable Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is $150 off at the Samsung store, and that's paired with an up-to $600 trade-in offer. In other words, if you thought you might have to spend $999.99 for this Android 13 handset, you'll be pleased to know you can get it for as little as $249.
If you're eyeing the more powerful and significantly larger Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, you can expect to save $400 at Amazon. This is a somewhat less attractive deal, though, because it's not clear if you can combine any trade-ins, but it does bring the price down to $1,399 for the 256GB model.
The foldable deals in the UK are a bit different, and maybe a bit less compelling. Instead of pounds off, you get a free Galaxy Tab when you buy a Galaxy Z Flip 4 or Galaxy Z Fold 4 at John Lewis.
Black Friday Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 deals
Which Samsung Galaxy Z foldable is right for you?
If I had to pick which foldable phone could be the big winner this Black Friday, I'd go for the clamshell-style Z Flip 4. In his Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 review, our Senior Phones Editor Alex Walker-Todd said, "Samsung didn't reinvent its clamshell-style foldable, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 does all that it needs to do for the company to hold onto its foldable crown."
The problem, though, is that foldables have been slow to break through to the mainstream. Samsung will tell you that it's shipped 10 million foldables since launching the category in 2019, but 'shipped' does not equal sold. This may be why spotting a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold in the wild is about as rare as Elon Musk admitting he made a mistake.
What's held people back from adopting these versatile devices en masse? It might be the price, as both devices start at the high end of the spectrum. On the other hand, there have been solid deals on both the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 since they launched earlier this year; no one pays full price for these handsets, and Samsung knows it.
Maybe it's their size. Foldable phones are, in their default, folded state, significantly thicker than virtually any non-folding smartphone. It might also be that no one knows exactly what they'd do with one of these devices.
On the plus side, there's the 'cool' factor. I know I get a kick out of taking one of Samsung's Galaxy Z phones out of my pocket as I sit on the train, unfolding it slowly, and watching the people sitting around me cast sideways glances.
Coolness aside, I'm guessing that most don't realize how much of a boost to your productivity it is to have a phone-size device that can transform into a true tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which I reviewed in August, offers a huge 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen, and it even accepts stylus input. That extra screen real estate is useful for multi-tasking with multiple apps on one screen, a feat that's hard to manage on smaller screens, and basically impossible on an iPhone.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, on the other hand, is not just about being cute. You can unfold it halfway, place it on the table and use it as a hands-free camera or a really useful video conference screen.
If the CTA's study I mentioned earlier is right, I might not need to convince you to buy a foldable phone for yourself or for a friend. But on the other hand…
There was another data point the CTA shared with me that caught my eye. Even though smartphones are the number one gadget on most people's holiday buying wish list, smartphones are only the fourth most-likely product people plan to give.
So, if you really want that foldable, you better start planting some hints now.
More US Black Friday deals
- Amazon: 50% off TVs, Apple Watch, clothing, vacuums, and toys
- Apple AirPods 2: on sale for $234 at Amazon
- Best Buy: up to $700 off TVs, laptops, appliances, and more
- Cheap TVs: $79.99 smart TVs from Best Buy
- Christmas decor: up to 54% off trees, garlands, and wreaths
- Dell: laptops from $299.99
- Gifts ideas: 40% off holiday gifts for the family from Amazon
- Home Depot: 50% off tools, major appliances, and holiday decor
- Lowe's: up to $750 off appliances, Christmas decor and tools
- Overstock: 70% off holiday decor, furniture, and Christmas trees
- Nectar: save up to $500 on mattresses, plus $499 in free gifts
- Nordstrom: up to 50% off UGG, makeup, Nike, jewelry, and more
- Samsung: up to $2,500 TVs, major appliances, and smartwatches
- Target: 45% off toys, Christmas decor, coffee makers, and more
- Toys: up to 50% off best-selling toys at Walmart
- Verizon: get the iPhone 14 Pro for free with trade-in
- Walmart: toys, TVs, vacuums, and laptops starting at $19.99
- Wayfair: up to 80% off couches, rugs, and more, plus free shipping
More UK Black Friday deals
- Amazon: up to 60% off TVs, laptops, and more
- Adidas: up to 50% off trainers and clothing
- AO: deals on appliances, TVs, laptops and more
- Argos: cheap TVs, headphones and tools
- Boots: half-price fragrances and make-up
- Box: up to £1,000 off TVs, laptops and PCs
- Currys: 40% off TVs, laptops and vacuums
- Dell: up to 45% off laptops and desktops
- Dyson: save £100 on the Dyson Cyclone V10
- EE: get a 200GB data SIM for £23 per month
- Game: PlayStation and Xbox games from £4.99
- John Lewis: up to £400 off TVs and appliances
- Ninja: save up to £90 on air fryers and pans
- Reebok: up to 50% off sportswear and footwear
- Samsung: up to £250 off phones and tablets
- Shark: up to £220 off cordless vacuum cleaners
- Very: offers on TVs, Lego and fashion
- Virgin: broadband deals from £25 per month
- Wayfair: furniture, lighting and mattress deals
