Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 2 could launch in July — here's why

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A new leak suggests Samsung's next foldables could arrive sooner than expected

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review
(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 2 could be arriving earlier than expected. In fact, both phones may arrive sometime in July, rather than in late summer/early fall.

It had been assumed the new foldable phones would launch around the same time we’d normally expect to see the new Galaxy Note 21. But according to Korean outlet The Elec, we may not have to wait that long.

This is considerably earlier than most had guessed. After all, we’ve already seen a leaked Samsung phone roadmap outlining the launch of devices up until August with no mention of any new foldables. So either plans have changed, or one of these leaks is bogus. 

That said, having an earlier release does make sense. The Samsung Galaxy S21 range launched in early January, rather than its usual late February launch window. It wouldn’t be hugely surprising if Samsung did the same thing with its late 2021 flagships.

In a normal year that might have included the next Galaxy Note device, but 2021 is no normal year. Not only are there rumors that the next Galaxy Note might be the last, the ongoing global chip shortage means the phone may actually be delayed until next year.

The only question is whether the two foldables phones will launch alongside the Galaxy S21 FE. The leaked roadmap already seemed to confirm an August launch for that device, though it’s unclear whether it would be joined by anything else. 

It would make sense for Samsung to announce all new big phones at the same time. But that’s also not what happened last year, with the Galaxy S20 FE arriving almost two months after the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 range.

We’re going to just have to wait and see what happens. If a July launch for the Galaxy foldables is on the cards, then we certainly don’t have very long to wait. We should also be hearing a lot more about what these phones have to offer over the next several weeks.

The Elec’s report revealed a number of specs to expect from the Z Fold 3. The phone will apparently come with a smaller 4,380 mAh battery, and will reportedly have a 7.5-inch interior display and a 6.2-inch exterior display. Past rumors have also suggested the Galaxy Z Fold 2 would be compatible with the S Pen, much like the newly released Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The Galaxy Z Flip 2 is set to have the same battery as the original Z Flip, and will naturally come with the same clamshell design as before. Beyond that we don’t know a whole lot about what the phone has to offer.

Stay tuned to Tom’s Guide, and we’ll bring you all the latest Galaxy news as we get closer to the launch of these two foldable phones. 

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Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.