[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina] Samsung Electronics, which declared the 'popularization of foldables,' is reported to unveil only two new foldable smartphones this year: the successors to the Galaxy Z Flip 5G and Z Fold2. Plans for a 'Lite' model, a budget-friendly foldable phone priced in the 1 million KRW range, and a double-folding phone that folds twice are not included.
IT specialized media such as SamMobile and PhoneArena reported that Samsung Electronics will only release successor models of the foldable smartphones it previously introduced this year.
SamMobile stated, "There are no plans to release a Lite model this year," adding, "While a more affordable foldable could still be considered, it will not happen in 2021." Regarding the double-folding phone that folds twice in a Z shape, the outlet said, "There is a lot of circumstantial evidence, but the likelihood of Samsung actually releasing such a device this year is very low." Earlier, the double-folding phone was expected to be released as early as the end of this year.
Samsung Electronics will not showcase the Galaxy Note series, which has been unveiled annually at the second half Unpacked event, this year. Instead, foldable smartphones are expected to take its place. Industry insiders widely anticipate the unveiling to be moved up to July, earlier than the usual Unpacked schedule.
In the foldable phone market, which has been virtually dominated by Samsung Electronics, Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Huawei, emphasizing cost-effectiveness, have recently thrown down the gauntlet one after another. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, the global foldable phone market is expected to grow threefold from 5.6 million units this year to 17.2 million units next year.
PhoneArena evaluated, "Foldable phones are still a niche market and very expensive," adding, "Affordable foldable devices could help Samsung target more customers and maintain dominance amid new competition from Xiaomi, Google, Vivo, and others." Ahead of the new foldable phone launch, Samsung Electronics also lowered the prices of the existing Z Flip 5G and Z Fold2.
The outlet suggested that Samsung's decision not to release budget models Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold Lite this year might be due to the recent semiconductor shortage. Samsung Electronics has officially acknowledged difficulties in semiconductor supply. Google Pixel 5a also faced limited release scale due to similar issues. PhoneArena added, "There were also forecasts that Samsung would release a rollable phone in 2021, but those rumors have since disappeared."
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