Among the top contenders in the foldable smartphones segment is the Chinese brand TCL. The company has been working on foldable devices for quite some time now and was able to draw a lot of attention with its prototypes. But it looks like their stint with their current project has finally come to an end as the foldable program codenamed the Project Chicago has been called off.

tcl foldable phone cancelled

From what it appears, TCL could not keep the prices in the bracket they initially intended in order to compete with Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 and this became the reason for dropping the project. $800 was the cheapest TCL could make, the culprit being recent component shortages, and global pandemic.

“If somebody can spend $800, he can also spend $1,000… Probably, he will go for the brand he knows for many years and trusts more.” says TCL’s Chief Marketing Officer, Stefan Strait. TCL says with the ongoing chip shortage crisis, this may not be the right time to enter the market and has clarified that this decision was taken well before the Samsung Unpacked event.
The TCL foldable phone was close to getting mass-produced. The company recently sent CNET a prototype unit that was close to the production version. Strait has also confirmed that TCL’s first foldable is not in sight for at least 12 to 18 months. But when it comes, it won’t be a revamped version of the Chicago prototype, rather a completely new device.
However, TCL will continue to play an active role in the “5G for All” initiative and will deliver 5G solutions to all consumers across a variety of price points and product categories.
Chicago program might have gone to the bin, but the company still believes that foldable smartphones are the future. It’s just that they think these devices aren’t ready for the masses yet.
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