We’re just about a month away from Samsung’s big foldable-focused Unpacked August conference. That’s the event that’s traditionally reserved for the new Galaxy Note. 2021, however, is a different year when it comes to Samsung’s Note series. In a nutshell, there’s no new Note this year. Samsung gave fans plenty of time to accept the news, having announced a few months ago the company won’t make a Note in 2021. Foldable phones will replace the Note, with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 expected to offer Note fans a great alternative. The handset will feature a large screen and S Pen stylus support, which are the two staples of the Note series. But it’s the Galaxy Z Flip 3 that will have a more attractive price range.
Now, a new report tells us that Samsung might have a massive surprise in store for foldable phone fans.
Earlier this year, several reports claimed that the new Fold 3 and Flip 3 models would be cheaper than their predecessors. Some leaks said Samsung planned 20% price cuts for both devices. This would put the Fold 3’s starting price at around $1,500, with the clamshell being even cheaper. The Flip 3 price would hover around $1,000, according to reports.
The new Flip 3 price leak
The Flip 3 should deliver the same high-end experience as any other Samsung flagship. We expect the handset to feature an all-screen design with a hole-punch camera or an Under Panel Camera (UPC) display. The internal screen should feature a second-generation Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) cover that is more durable than before. The external display should be significantly larger than the Flip’s. We’d expect one of Qualcomm’s high-end chips to power the phone, quite possibly the Snapdragon 888 that’s inside the S21 series.
A leaker said on Twitter that the 8GB/256GB Flip 3 version will retail for $1,249. That’s more expensive than the $1,199 Galaxy S21 Ultra but cheaper than the original Flip’s $1,380 price.
Galaxy Z Flip Lite surprise
Two major obstacles remain before foldable phones can go mainstream: durability and affordability. Samsung is thankfully tackling both with its 2021 foldables. According to rumors, both the Fold 3 and Flip 3 will feature better design quality, including more robust UTG panels.
Samsung will likely run various promotions during the upcoming pre-order period, and the price will continue to drop in the coming months. But that rumored $1,249 Flip 3 price tag might still be too high for some buyers. A new report from The Korea Herald claims that Samsung will actually unveil three foldables during its upcoming Unpacked event. Joining the Fold 3 and Flip 3 is an unexpected Flip 3 Lite.
As the rumored name implies, the Flip 3 Lite should be more affordable than the regular Flip 3. It’s unclear how much the Lite will cost or what sort of compromises Samsung might make to achieve the lower Flip 3 price point. Still, the prospect of having a cheaper Flip 3 Lite in stores this fall is exciting. A more affordable foldable might help Samsung sell more foldable phones this year. The Korean giant has ambitious sales goals, according to previous reports.
The Herald says the next Galaxy Unpacked event might be scheduled for August 11th.
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