Samsung is expected to ramp up its release of foldable smartphones in the coming years and there are already several launch date suggestions for its next models, the rumored Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3. If recent news is accurate, the devices could launch in July.
Tech informant, Ice Universe tweeted details about the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 on Thursday, hinting that the devices could be unveiled within the next five months. This news follows another launch rumor that suggested the foldables could be unveiled as early as May; however, this information was quickly refuted by pundits including Max Weinbach and Ross Young.
While much about the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 remains unknown, there is a lot that can be inferred from Samsung’s recent movements. This rumor comes shortly after the market launch of the Galaxy S21 series, the brand’s early year flagships. The smartphones have already garnered many favorable reviews, while reports indicate Samsung could be shipping as many as 26 million units of the devices for 2021. However, instead of hearing murmurs about the Galaxy Note series during this post launch time, there are tidbits surfacing about Samsung’s foldables.
Many have also pieced together that a July launch for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 could be plausible, given Samsung’s early launch of the Galaxy S21 series. Typically the manufacturer unveils and releases its Galaxy S series in the late February to March timeframe, but opted for an early launch due to diminished sales correlating with the pandemic.
Samsung’s late-year launch for the Galaxy Note series typically takes place in August, about six months after the release of the Galaxy S devices. If the foldables are announced in July, they could be the brand’s headliner devices for the latter half of 2021 instead of the Galaxy Note series, as many still expect the phablets will be discontinued. We’ve seen the model’s popular S-Pen stylus be introduced as a sold separately accessory for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. There is also word that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 could include S-Pen support. Amid insiders hinting at the demise of the Note series, Samsung made a statement to PhoneArena detailing its expansion of stylus functionality “across device categories.” The brand also notably made no mention of the Note series in a recent press release about reestablishing its devices sales in 2021 after the unpredictability it faced early in the pandemic.
Other features for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 may include a 7.55-inch inner display and 6.21-inch cover display, as well as the above mentioned S-Pen. Samsung may make updates to its foldable display makeup, potentially once again using plastic instead of Ultra Thin Glass (UTG). It may also be powered by an AMD-based Exynos SoC. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 may include a 6.7-inch inner display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Notably, the original Galaxy Z Flip, which released in 2020, recently got a permanent $250 price cut from $1,449 to $1,199 in the U.S.
