Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 to get “big price cut” – report
“Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Buds 2 at the August 2021 Unpacked event. We’ve got all the details you need to know about with our hands on reviews“
Samsung’s upcoming foldables – the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 – are set to get a “big price cut” on their expensive predecessors.
Sammobile claims that the two foldable handsets will be up to 20% cheaper than the previous generation, with would-be Galaxy Z Fold 3 buyers “looking at an almost $400 price cut”.
That would mean the foldable coming in at around $1600 (~£1130) rather than the $1999 (~£1412) that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 launched at.
Though even if the dollar prices prove to be accurate, it’s worth noting that Samsung opts for a less generous dollar-to-pound conversion than that, and last year’s foldable flagship arrived at £1799 this side of the Atlantic.
Although the SamMobile report also mentions the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as getting a price cut, no figures are included, and given the Z Flip 2 started at a lower $1380/£1300, it has considerably less room for manoeuvre.
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We have reached out to Samsung regarding the report, and were told that the company doesn’t comment on rumour and speculation. Hardly surprising, given Samsung hasn’t even acknowledged the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 exist yet.
But various rumours and leaks doing the rounds do indicate that the foldables will be arriving later this summer. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 will reportedly be the model where the innovation is happening, with the phone said to feature the company’s first under-screen camera and S Pen support – the kind of features to embed it firmly in our list of the best Android phones around.
Is a price cut plausible?
When discussing rumours and leaks, we always say it’s best to take them with a pinch of salt. For this one you could comfortably double or even triple the recommended dosage.
After two generations of Galaxy Z Fold launching close to the $2,000 mark, is it really plausible for Samsung to slash the price by 20%? And in the middle of a global chip shortage that’s affecting everything from games consoles to the automotive industry? Bluntly, we’re extremely dubious.
Of course new technology starts out at a high price and then comes down as companies improve their manufacturing processes and find other cost-cutting measures, but this feels like too much, too soon.
While Samsung is rich enough to take a hit on profits (or even make a loss) to drive adoption if it wanted to, a more modest reduction or slashing prices on the previous generation would seem a more likely way for the company to go.
But if the report is accurate and Samsung does decide to drive sales with an aggressive price cut, then this could be the generation where you start seeing foldables everywhere you go.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
