The way tech market analysts look at it, foldable smartphones are not likely to go away soon. 2019 was the year when units such as the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold became the first few models with flexible displays. In 2020, the consumers now have clamshell options such as the new Razr and Galaxy Z Flip. Huawei even recently launched the Mate Xs, which shows that this type of configuration is here to stay. Now, a startling discovery has been made about the Pablo Escobar Fold 2.

Despite the fascination of owning something innovative, the prohibitive prices of foldable smartphones hinder its mass adoption. Those who originally intended to purchase Galaxy Fold can now do so for a significantly discounted price. This came to be after several YouTube tech reviewers got their hands on a controversial handset with a folding display.

When the Pablo Escobar Fold 2 made its debut, it caught a lot of people by surprise. Its predecessor, the aptly named Fold 1, was promoted by the company as the smartphone that will take down Apple. Now, its follow-up model is allegedly targeting Samsung, which was even accompanied by a short commercial showing bikini-clad models smashing a Galaxy Fold.

Samsung Galaxy Fold vs. Pablo Escobar Fold 2- they're the same phone actually... pic.twitter.com/npDBUL1oOv

— iovafilip (@iovafilip1) March 11, 2020

It turns out that Escobar Inc practically just gave Samsung's first foldable handset a coat of gold and was selling it for around $400, as indicated by an article from Gizmodo. To make matters even more interesting, it seems that what industry analysts initially suspected was true along. Even the Fold 1 was found out to be a rebranded Royole FlexPai with gold trimmings all around.

YouTuber Marques Brownlee even posted a video of him removing the metallic stickers to reveal what's underneath. After peeling back the ones from the outer hinge, the Samsung logo was exposed. Therefore, consumers who are still hoping to purchase the Galaxy Fold can actually get it for around 80 per cent less than the sticker price.

Pablo Escobar Fold 2 makes its debut
Pablo Escobar's biological brother hopes to capitalise on the drug kingpin's fame with another foldable handset called the Fold 2. Photo: Escobar Inc

While this workaround seems too good to be true, there are some caveats involved. The adhesive used by the Pablo Escobar Fold 2 is quite strong and will require a heat gun to cleanly remove the stickers. Moreover, the handset comes with pre-loaded branding and wallpapers that might not be for everyone. Nevertheless, those who know their way around Android can always flash and tweak the software to match that of the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

Samsung