Samsung is doing things differently when it comes to new flagship smartphone releases. The Galaxy S21 models that launched in early 2021 will not be followed by a corresponding Note series. The current chip shortage served as a convenient pretext to canceling the Note refresh this year. That’s a move we saw coming in the past few years, as the Note had been losing its identity. The Note is no longer the largest phone you can buy since all smartphones feature massive edge-to-edge displays. The only remaining signature feature of the Note series is also fading away, as Samsung started adding S Pen support to other phones, including the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Foldable phones like the Fold 3 and Flip 3 are the best option to replace the Note, with particular emphasis on the former. The Fold phones offer buyers a tablet-like foldable screen, and the Fold 3 is getting its own stylus. Samsung is expected to unveil the new foldables in early August and start selling them a few weeks later. Now, a new report indicates that Samsung has big plans for this year’s foldables, and that might be great news for buyers looking for more affordable foldable phones from the Korean company.
Well-known leaker Jon Prosser said recently that Samsung plans to release the Fold 3 and Flip 3 on August 27th, with a different insider claiming that the two handsets might be unveiled during an August 3rd launch event that Samsung has not yet announced.
Prosser is back with a new FrontPageTech report that says Samsung started manufacturing the new Fold and Flip handsets a few days ago. That’s not a surprising detail to anyone who follows the industry What’s interesting about Prosser’s report is a detail about the foldable phone volumes that Samsung is said to be manufacturing.
The leaker claims that Samsung has ordered production to reach 50,000 to 70,000 units a day for each device. With under 50 days remaining until that rumored August 3rd event, Samsung might have up to 3.5 million Fold 3 units ready by the time the phone is released, and the same number of Flip 3 units.
Samsung is reportedly looking to mass-produce a combined 7 million units for these devices, which doesn’t sound like that much at first. Apple, for example, sells more iPhones than that during their debut weekend alone when new models are released. What’s different this year is that Samsung wants to significantly ramp up sales of foldable devices, which haven’t sold in large numbers in the past.
Last year, Samsung mass-produced a combined 1-2 million units of Fold 2 and Flip handsets. A few days ago, Samsung’s US online store advised users that the Fold is out of stock. Samsung achieving this rumored 7 million sales goal for the Fold 3 and Flip 3 handsets this year would be a huge win for the Korean giant. The Fold 3 and Flip 3 are expected to be more expensive than traditional smartphones, so they could bring in more revenue than the now-canceled Note 21. Success like that might convince Samsung to skip the Note series again next year.
Samsung foldable phones might have premium prices, but Samsung can’t dramatically increase sales unless it’s willing to lower the entry price. And it so happens that various reports claim the new handsets might be cheaper. The Fold 3 might cost around $1,500 instead of $2,000, while the Flip 3 could start at approximately $1,000 rather than $1,400. This report about Samsung’s planned sales volume for its 2021 foldables seems to further support the idea that the Fold 3 will be a lot cheaper than its predecessors.
Samsung has tested various programs to make its foldable phones more affordable this year, like increasing the trial period and launching phone subscription plans. Samsung is also expected to throw free credit or accessories into the mix for buyers who preorder the foldable phones ahead of release.