Since their debut, foldable smartphones have been a luxury that every gadget lover has longed for. However, they’re priced at super premium levels resulting in very low adoption rates. That's not the only reason though. The durability of foldable displays have always made early adopters skeptical about buying these devices.
Amidst this challenge, Walmart-owned Flipkart has come up with a smart scheme that could encourage foldable phone adoption or merely help the company clear out existing stocks. The scheme called "Love it or return it" offers users a chance to lay their hands on the latest foldable phones - including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.
- Foldable phones may soon have their biggest issue solved
- Check out our review of the Samsung Galazy Z Fold 3
- Read our review of the Samsung Galaxy Flip 3
How to get Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Galaxy Flip 3 for 15 days
Customers can purchase Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 or Galaxy Fold 3 under this scheme, try the device for the next 15 days of purchase and return it within the duration if they’re unhappy with the purchase. Flipkart claims that the amount paid by the customer, excluding any offer or taxes, will be refunded.
However, the onus of ensuring that the phone is in perfect working order at the time of return is on the customers. The offer can be availed until November 17, 2021, and only up to 100 units - which is another bummer.
After buying the foldable smartphone via Flipkart, customers need to verify its IMEI number on the Qaramek app at the time of return. The pickup of the smartphone will be arranged after verification. The amount paid by the customers at the beginning of purchase will be returned through RTGS/UPI transaction within 5-7 working days of the pickup.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3's 8GB RAM variant with 256GB internal storage is available at a price of Rs 88,999. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage is available at a price of Rs 1,49,999.
Limitations
Of course, it is quite obvious that the scheme has its share of loopholes. Here are a few that we found and are listing it below:
- For starters, how many gadget lovers would want to invest close to Rs.1.5 lakh on a smartphone at this point in time when the economy is just about overcoming nearly two years of pandemic-led lockdowns?
- Then there is the small issue of the scheme being operational only in the cities of Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Pune, Kolkata, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Chennai, which means a substantial percentage of India's population do not get it.
- And the third, and possibly the most ridiculous part of the scheme is the cap of 100 devices that Flipkart has fixed with a first-come-first-served delivery. We wonder how long a queue does the company expect from gadget lovers who want to invest Rs.1.5 lakhs on a scheme that they may not even get.
- Finally, the scheme is open only for Samsung devices, possibly because it is being run jointly by the two brands. Inclusion of other premium brands such as Apple could have made a broader play for the scheme, which though unique, appears half-baked.
Of course, we have provided users with the details of the scheme and having come up with good reviews for both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Galaxy Flip 3, it would be easy for us to recommend these two devices. Only if you can afford that heavy price tag.
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