For the first time in several years, the Korean company’s August keynote will not focus on the launch of new Note series models, but dedicated to two new folding smartphones: the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip3. We already know a lot about the two devices, thanks to rumors leaked in recent weeks.
Z Fold
The third generation of the Galaxy Z Fold will retain a similar design to that of the Fold2, but there will be an important novelty: compatibility with Samsung’s S Pen stylus, previously reserved for the Galaxy Note or Galaxy S21 Ultra. Overall an evolutionary update of the device is expected, with updated components and improved performance. The rumors also suggest an improvement in the device’s thermal performance and battery life on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor variant. This means that, unlike previous models, which only featured Qualcomm processors in all markets, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 may arrive in some regions (including Europe) with a Samsung Exynos processor. Finally, it is rumored that Samsung has managed to hide the selfie camera under the display, thus avoiding the classic hole in the corner of the internal screen.
Z Flip, Galaxy Watch e Galaxy Buds
Even Galaxy Z Flip3 will not overturn the design of the previous model. The clamshell folding will retain the shape and size of its predecessors, while the most visible difference will be the outer shell with a main color tone and a black band framing the auxiliary display and the two cameras. The external screen of the device should be the other most important novelty: it will have a diagonal of 1.9 “against 1.1” of the current model.
Finally, according to the most accredited rumors, a new Galaxy Watch and a new iteration of the Galaxy Buds headphones are also expected. The Watch 4 will be the first smart watch from the Korean brand to feature the Wear operating system, developed by Samsung in collaboration with Google. The Galaxy Buds 2, the second generation of Samsung’s true wireless headphones, will in all likelihood be slightly different from the previous model and will still offer active noise cancellation.
The market
The foldable smartphone market will grow nearly threefold year-on-year, reaching around 9 million units this year, with Samsung taking the lead – roughly 88 percent of the total, according to Counterpoint Research.
It took Samsung around eight years to develop the first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, which launched in September 2019 after several months of delays. The revised and corrected version was a hit with ultra-high-end buyers, and the Korean company sold around half a million units in the first four months of launch. The second foldable phone – the Galaxy Z Flip – was released in February last year. Designed for maximum portability, it folds and is the size of a wallet, with a 6.7-inch screen when open.
Meanwhile, after the exploits of Huawei and the Mate X, folding devices are also expected this year from Vivo, Oppo and TCL. Motorola already has its own (the razr), and Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone in 2023. By next year, Counterpoint expects foldable smartphone shipments to grow tenfold. According to the financial analysis firm, Samsung will continue to dominate the segment with around 75 percent of the market
The direct
Samsung’s usual “Galaxy Unpacked”, a technological ritual to which the Korean giant has accustomed us for several years, will be broadcast in streaming on 11 August next at 4 pm, Italian time. The central theme of the presentation is clear from the subtitle of the event, “get ready to unfold”, and from the graphics of the invitations, which reproduce the shapes of the two folding smartphones from Samsung. The news is that this time it will be possible to follow him with two Italian Tech journalists, Andrea Nepori and Bruno Ruffilli, who will comment live on the launch, with surprises and insights.
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