Samsung says Galaxy Z Fold 2 is not discontinued ahead of Z Fold 3 launch [Update]

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

Update 10:52 am ET: We've received the following statement from Samsung:

“We’re pleased with the excitement around the Galaxy Z Fold2 5G and encourage customers to visit Samsung.com for the latest updates on availability. We want to clarify Samsung is not discontinuing the device.”

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is rumored to be launching in August, but it briefly looked like Samsung could be accelerating its plans when the Galaxy Z Fold 2 vanished from Samsung.com on June 17. Not so much.

Samsung appeared to halt sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, displaying the following message when you try to visit the product page: “The Galaxy Fold is no longer available for purchase on Samsung.com, however please take a look at additional options in the Galaxy family.” 

However, as of 8:20 a.m ET on June 18, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is back was back in stock on Samsung's site. And the company provided the above statement, emphasizing that the Z Fold 2 is not discontinued. 

9to5Google was the first to spot that the Z Fold 2 was no longer for sale through Samsung’s site, and we reached out to Samsung for comment. Note that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 continues to be sold through Best Buy and Amazon, but it’s listed out of stock at Verizon and not listed at all through T-Mobile after previously being sold there. AT&T is still selling the handset for now.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is currently the best foldable phone you can buy, but with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 reportedly launching later this summer at an Unpacked event, we can see why there's a lot of anticipation.

If you’ve been following the Galaxy Z Fold 3 rumors, Samsung’s new foldable phone could be the first Samsung phone ever to feature an under-display camera, which would be on the larger inside display. In addition, the Z Fold 3 will reportedly support S Pen input, similar to the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The best part? One rumor says that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 could cost as much as 20% less, so now is definitely not a good time to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 2. 

Other Galaxy Z Fold 3 reports point to a similar array of cameras, including a 12MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 12MP telephoto, offering 2x optical zoom and a 10MP cover camera. The new 16MP selfie camera would be on the larger display. 

The Z Fold 3 is rumored to feature a 7.5-inch main display (smaller than the 7.6-inch Fold 2) and a possible cover display of 5.4 inches (though we’ve heard 6.2 inches as well). According to one certification, the Z Fold 3 battery size could be 4,275 mAh, which would be slightly smaller than the Z Fold 2’s 4,500 mAh pack.

It looks like we still have a fair amount of time between now and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 launch, but we'll bring you more info as it becomes available. 

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.