3 Offers That Cut the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4's Price Down to Size

Samsung unveiled its next generation of foldable phones during its Unpacked event Wednesday and, while the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is competitive in price with other flagship phones, the tablet-phone hybrid Galaxy Z Fold 4 retains its whopping $1,800 starting price. Given that you can buy both of the best smartphones on the market for that price these days, some had hoped that this year's Fold would come in a little lower.

But let's remember: The Fold is basically giving you a stealth tablet crammed into a smartphone. With two full screens (including a cutting-edge foldable display), the Fold is legitimately charging a big premium, and still targeting the early adopters of the world.

While the eye-watering MSRP for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 might be enough to put off those wanting to try out a book-style foldable for the first time, here's the thing: No one has to pay the sticker price thanks to the plethora of Galaxy Z Fold 4 deals already available including trade-ins, free credit, extra storage and bundles. (Prefer the slimmer Z Flip 4 foldable? Note that nearly all these same deals apply, some of which could get your out-of-pocket cost closer to zero.) 

Here are the three best offers we've currently found. Just make sure you don't delay -- many of these deals will expire by Aug. 25, the day before the Z Fold 4 hits store shelves.

Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 First Take: Bigger Cover Screen, New Cameras

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Samsung: Shop at the source

One such deal comes direct from Samsung, where you can score as much as $1,000 off your Galaxy Z Fold 4 preorder by trading in your old device. That drops the device's price to as low as $800, which some might consider a standard flagship phone price, effectively snagging you the tablet component for free. 

Up to $1,000 off + bundle deals at Samsung See at Samsung

Eligible devices for the full $1,000 trade-in value include the previous-gen Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G. Other recent Samsung phones will net you $900 or more with iPhone models garnering as much as $705 in trade-in value. And even busted phones should yield you as much as $300 off -- not bad if you have a phone with a smashed screen collecting dust in a drawer.

You'll also benefit from a free storage upgrade, a free case and S Pen, up to $300 in Samsung credit and limited-time free subscriptions to Spotify, YouTube Premium, SiriusXM and OneDrive. 

In addition, Samsung is offering up to 30% bundle savings when you preorder your Galaxy Z Fold 4 alongside its newly launched Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds and Galaxy Watch 5 wearables, not to mention extra discounts for first responders, military or education customers. 

Want to supercharge that offer? Rakuten is currently offering members up to 12% cash back on Samsung products.

AT&T: Best carrier offer

If you prefer to go for a carrier deal, AT&T has a similarly attractive trade-in offer with up to $1,000 off the Galaxy Z Fold 4. To be eligible for the savings, which are applied as monthly bill credits, all you need to do is preorder your Galaxy Z Fold 4 on an unlimited plan and trade in an eligible smartphone within 30 days of activation.

Here's the key: In this case, AT&T's interpretation of "eligible trade-in" is quite liberal. Dozens of models are listed, all the way down to an iPhone SE. And if it's an older Galaxy model, they'll accept it in any condition, so you don't have to worry about sending in your old or beat-up device. 

AT&T is also offering 512GB for the price of 256GB during this preorder phase and you'll also get a free case thrown in. The main drawback to AT&T's promotion is that it requires signing up for a lengthy 36-month commitment. 

Up to $1,000 off with trade-in at AT&T See at AT&T

Don't have a phone to trade in? T-Mobile is still offering $1,000 off the Galaxy Z Fold via 36 monthly bill credits when you activate a line on its Magenta Max plan. Alternatively, you can still get $500 off on a lesser plan with a new line or a trade-in. And, you guessed it, T-Mobile is giving customers the same storage bump and case freebie you've seen elsewhere. 

Up to $1,000 off at T-Mobile See at T-Mobile

CNET's Eli Blumenthal contributed to this story.