Samsung is expected to announce the foldable Galaxy Z Fold 3 within the next eight weeks and a new report sheds some light on what’s currently happening behind the scenes in preparation for the launch.
Samsung starts production of the Galaxy Z Fold 3
WinFuture is reporting that today Samsung has started mass production of the components that’ll be used inside the foldable Galaxy Z Fold 3. The timeline corroborates recent rumors of a release in late July or August.
Despite setting a big sales target for its next foldable, Samsung is said to be planning relatively low numbers during the mass production phase. The total volume is around a third of what Samsung typically orders for more traditional smartphones like the Galaxy S21 or Galaxy S20 FE.
That could be related to the product’s relative lack of mainstream appeal. Foldable smartphones are still very much niche products, despite Samsung’s efforts, and that isn’t going to change overnight.
A big part of that is down to the retail price, rather than the form factor itself. Foldable displays are extremely expensive to manufacture, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will probably cost close to $2,000 at launch as a result.
Nevertheless, Samsung is likely to build up volume over the coming weeks. The South Korean company typically starts with a much lower number before making some adjustments to ensure a high production yield.
Separately, WinFuture is reporting that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 has still not entered production. Nevertheless, an announcement is still expected in the summer alongside the larger Fold 3.
Under-display camera, S Pen support, and much more
As mentioned above, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be mighty expensive when it hits shelves. So, what will it offer for the money aside from a foldable display? Well, if the rumors are true, quite a lot.
One of the most exciting technologies will be embedded beneath the large foldable display — an in-screen camera. The associated tech hasn’t yet made it onto widely available products, so its presence on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 could push adoption.
If reviews are positive and no major issues are encountered, under-display cameras could eventually trickle down to Samsung’s other smartphones. The Galaxy S22 would be a great candidate, but that might be a risky move.
Another highlight of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 should be its S Pen support. The latter was previously reserved for the Galaxy Note line, but in 2021 Samsung is making it much more widely available.
There won’t be a dedicated S Pen slot on the foldable but including support could help position the Galaxy Z Fold series as a spiritual successor to the much-loved Galaxy Note series.
Of course, all of that will be paired with the latest internal tech. Expect to find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 on the inside and at least 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. There won’t be microSD card support, though.
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Completing the package is set to be 25W fast charging support, a 4,380mAh battery, and Android 11 straight out of the box with the promise of updates to Android 12, Android 13, and Android 14.
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