01
Apr
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 could be Samsung’s next foldable phone, though its launch likely isn’t imminent – the Galaxy S21 launch on January 14 didn’t bring with it any foldable, and Samsung will likely want its new flagships to have some time in the spotlight before its next bending device comes along.
It’s over a year since we saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, though, so it might not be too long before the successor comes. That was the company’s first ‘clamshell’ style folding device, and this is set to be the second.
So why doesn’t this article concern the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2? Well, we’ve heard it’s not going to be called that, and we’ll explain more in a section below.
What, then, do we know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3? Not much right now, though that could change soon – the original Galaxy Z Flip launched in February 2020, so the Z Flip 3 could be imminent, although many sources suggest otherwise.
Before the grand Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 reveal, we’ve listed everything we know about it below, including details on its confusing name.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A ‘clamshell’ foldable phone from Samsung
- When is it out? Probably mid-2021
- How much will it cost? Expect around $1,380 / £1,300 / AU$1,800
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 release date and price
As stated in the introduction to this article, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 could land soon, since it’s now over a year since the first model launched.
Of course, that might not end up being right, and we could see a launch later in the year. Plenty of rumors suggest ‘late 2021’ is when we should expect the Flip successor. Most recently (as of early February) we’ve heard that it might not land for five months – meaning in or around July.
Worryingly there’s no mention of it at all in a leaked Samsung launch roadmap, which runs up to late August, though the roadmap looks incomplete. We’d expect it would land by then, especially with the Samsung Galaxy Note 21 likely canceled – leaving Samsung with fewer high-end phones this year than normal.
We’ve also heard that it might run a new version of Samsung’s One UI though, which probably wouldn’t land until the second half of the year, so don’t expect the phone soon.
Regarding price, we’ll likely see a similar cost to the original Galaxy Z Flip, which sold for $1,380 / £1,300 / AU$1,800. Hopefully, the company has worked out some ways to lower the cost though, because that’s a huge amount for a smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 or Z Flip 2?
Naturally, you’d expect the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip would be the Galaxy Z Flip 2… right?
In practice that might not be right, as we’ve heard the next phone could be the Galaxy Z Flip 3. This comes from the Dutch website GalaxyClub, which has a mixed record of providing accurate information.
It seems the reasoning for the naming change is because the 5G equivalent of the Galaxy Z Flip was technically the ‘Flip 2’, so this new version is the ‘Flip 3’.
In addition, GalaxyClub states the company is doing it to bring the Flip line on par with the numbers of the fold line, with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 the next release there. This logic is flawed though – if Samsung’s foldable came out in the order Flip 3, Fold 3, Flip 4, and so on, as the leak suggests, the names would be no more logical than if we saw the Flip 2, Fold 3, Flip 3, and on.
Sometimes many pre-launch rumors and leaks say the same thing and we take it for granted until the launch comes and proves us wrong. It’s very possible this will happen with the new Galaxy Z Flip model (as indeed it did with the Samsung Galaxy S21, which many people thought would be the Galaxy S30).
We’ll have to wait until the next foldable phone comes out to know for sure.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip news and rumors
Some Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 renders are out in the open, and you might have seen them, but don’t be fooled – they’re not official. Instead, they were made by LetsGoDigital based on specs and image leaks, to try and get a clear picture of what the foldable phone could look like.
A Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2 leak – that’s what the leaker called it – suggested it’ll have a 3-inch screen on the outside of the device, and a 6.7-inch one when opened up. While the main screen is the same size as that on the original Flip, that phone only had a 1.1-inch cover screen, so we could see a big improvement in that department.
That leak, and several others, also says the Z Flip 2 will have a bigger battery than the 3,300mAh one in the original Flip. There are no bets on the new size though.
According to one leak, the next Galaxy Z Flip will have a redesigned hinge, and improved display material, to its predecessor. These are the two main components of a foldable phone, so it seems Samsung is aiming for a more durable device.
Elsewhere, we’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 could come in 128GB and 256GB storage sizes, as well as running Android 11. 128GB is less than the Galaxy Z Flip comes with, which could mean a lower starting price.
Indeed, we have also heard rumors of a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Lite, and it’s possible this affordable foldable phone actually is the Z Flip 2 or 3, with the next phone designed to be more affordable than its predecessor.
