Next-gen Galaxy Z Fold 3 is rumored to cost about the same as the Fold 2

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is nearly one year away from its debut – assuming that Samsung will follow a 12-month launch strategy – and yet we’ve already come across various rumors pertaining to this upcoming device and how it might refresh the foldable formula in the second half of 2021. The latest rumor, however, signals that although hardware specifications will change and improve, Samsung’s asking price for its flagship foldable won’t.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be priced about the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 2, at least according to a recent tweet by @MauriQHD citing a source with a decent track record. In case you need a reminder, the Galaxy Z Fold 2  was released for around $2,000 in most markets.

At least it wouldn’t be more expensive

The idea that the flagship Galaxy Z Fold series won’t get any cheaper anytime soon is not at all surprising to some of us. There are good reasons to believe that Samsung’s focus right now isn’t on making future Galaxy Z Fold models easier to obtain from a cost perspective. We’ve explored this topic before, but in short, Samsung’s flagships have historically gotten more expensive with the passage of time rather than going the other way around. In addition, Samsung still doesn’t have a real competitor in the flagship segment so it has one less reason to push for a lower price.

The good news, assuming that the latest rumor is correct, is that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 at least won’t be more expensive than the model it will succeed. Samsung will probably maintain the same ~$2,000 price and it could attempt to bring foldable display technology to more customers with cheaper models such as the Galaxy Z Flip and possibly the Galaxy Z Flip Lite.

Do keep in mind that the source isn’t betting on the accuracy of this rumor and has adviced the proverbial pinch of salt in a follow-up tweet. After all, a lot can change until the third quarter of 2021.

Do you have any plans for the foldable market in 2021? Are you considering joining this emerging segment next year or are you continuing playing the waiting game for cost-related reasons or others? Would a ~$2,000 price for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 surprise you? Let us know in the comment section.

Fold 3

same price atm pic.twitter.com/7z0tgfDdqr

— Mauri QHD (@MauriQHD) November 26, 2020

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Samsung Galaxy F41 hands-on: To be, or not to be, that is the question

Ah, the Galaxy F41. This is a phone that we had initially assumed to be an ‘affordable’ foldable, only to later find out that Samsung was looking at rebranding the excellent Galaxy M31. The Galaxy M series was launched as an Amazon exclusive, though it eventually started selling on other major online retailers in India. But it seems that wasn’t enough and Samsung wanted to make an exclusive lineup for Flipkart, the other big Indian retail player, and the Galaxy F series seems to be the result.

So the Galaxy F41 is a rebranded Galaxy M31, but are they both exactly the same? Well, there are a couple of changes. There’s the name, of course, with Samsung using the ‘Full On’ branding to make the F series sound cooler than the M series. The F41 has only three rear cameras while the M31 has four (the former lacks a macro camera). Finally, the F41 comes in an exclusive green color, and Samsung is also using different names for the color options. Where the M31 comes in Ocean Blue, Iceberg Blue, and Space Black, the F41 is available in Fusion Blue, Fusion Green, and Fusion Black.

Unfortunately, none of those changes really make a compelling case — or any case at all — for the F41’s existence. While it remains to be seen how different future F series phones will be from Galaxy M handsets, the F41 is simply not a great choice, and that’s because both the F41 and M31 are priced the same. You get the 6GB+64GB configuration for Rs 15,499, and the 6GB+128GB configuration for Rs 16,499.

But the M31 gives you four rear cameras for that price instead of three. Granted, the low-resolution macro cameras on Samsung’s budget phones aren’t all that special, nor is everyone interested in macro photography. Still, why would you want to pay the same price to get lesser specs, even if the only thing you’re missing out on is a macro camera you may or may not use?

The Galaxy F41 seems to be designed for a certain retailer instead of the consumer, and that would be okay if it had something unique to offer. But it doesn’t (except for a new color?), and since you will be paying the same for both the M31 and F41, the former just makes more sense, no matter how important or unimportant a macro camera may be for you.

• Buy the Galaxy F41 from Flipkart
• Buy the Galaxy M31 from Amazon India

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Rumor: Galaxy S21 S Pen support is a go, but so is at least one new Note

It has long been rumored that Samsung will bring S Pen compatibility to the next Galaxy S series smartphone and then possibly kill the Galaxy Note series for good. However, there might still be some good news for Galaxy Note series fans, at least going by a recent rumor.

According to a new report from Korea IT News, Samsung has placed orders for Galaxy S21 digitizers. Digitizers are an important component for S Pen compatibility, and a firm has started the mass production of digitizers for the next-generation Galaxy S series phone. Mass production of digitizers almost confirms that the Galaxy S21 Ultra will support the S Pen.

The report also mentions that the Galaxy S series and the Galaxy Note series will be merged in the future. However, Samsung will reportedly release one Galaxy Note series smartphone in the second half of 2021 before discontinuing the series. The South Korean tech giant is expected to shift its focus from the Galaxy Note series to foldable smartphones.

Samsung has reportedly planned multiple foldable smartphones for next year, and there is a possibility of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 featuring an S Pen. The company is working on improving the strength of the Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) so that the S Pen can be used with it.

As usual, these are just rumors, and there has been a lot of conflicting information about the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Note series’ future. Nothing can be said for certain so early, and things will get clearer only when Samsung actually launches the device.

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Galaxy Buds Pro get one step closer to launch

Last week, we had exclusively revealed that Samsung is working on new Galaxy Buds earphones that feature active noise cancellation (ANC). Later, it was revealed that they would be launched as Galaxy Buds Pro. Now, the upcoming earphones have received the necessary certification before its launch.

A new Samsung device with model number SM-R190 has received certification from the FCC. The model number SM-R190 is associated with the Galaxy Buds Pro. A diagram of these new earbuds is also included in the certification documents. The diagram reveals that the upcoming earbuds’ case will have a rounded square shape, similar to the Galaxy Buds Live. It will also feature a 500mAh battery, a USB Type-C port, and 2.5W charging.

The FCC certification of the Galaxy Buds Pro means that the wireless earbuds are almost ready for the launch. They are expected to be unveiled alongside the Galaxy S21 series in January 2021. The Galaxy Buds Pro would not replace the Galaxy Buds or the Galaxy Buds+. Rather, they would be an addition to Samsung’s current lineup of truly wireless earphones.

Our exclusive report revealed that Samsung’s upcoming wireless earbuds have an in-ear canal design, improved audio quality, and improved Ambient Mode. We can also expect them to feature Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC, sweat resistance, touch controls, and Qi wireless charging.

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Samsung could soon launch its Tile-like tracker called Galaxy Smart Tag

Samsung had unveiled the SmartThings Find feature during the launch of the Galaxy Note 20 series. The company explained how its new app can find compatible Galaxy products with more accuracy. Now, it has been revealed that the South Korean firm could also be working on a Tile-like tracker.

A new device with the name Galaxy Smart Tag and model number EI-T5300 has been certified by the Indonesian Telecom Certification. Going by its name, it is possible that Samsung is working on an object tracker. However, this is not the first time it is working on such a product. The company had launched an LTE-enable tracker under the SmartThings branding two years ago.

It is only logical for the company to implement the SmartThings Find feature inside its upcoming tracker. Usually, smart object trackers come with Bluetooth connectivity, but it is entirely possible that Samsung could add more connectivity features such as UWB (Ultra-Wideband), LTE, and GPS features to its upcoming tracker, especially since the company had already launched a tracker with built-in LTE and GPS back in 2018.

Looking at Tile’s popularity, even Apple has been reportedly working on such a device. Would you be interested in buying a Tile-like tracker from Samsung? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Mystic Red Galaxy Note 20, Mystic White Galaxy Z Flip 5G now available in the US

Samsung is adding new color variants to some of its existing high-end smartphones. The company has unveiled the Mystic Red variant of the Galaxy Note 20 and the Mystic White variant of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. If you were thinking of buying a new Galaxy smartphone during the holidays, you should definitely look at these new color variants.

The Mystic Red version of the Galaxy Note 20 was available in other markets for a while now, but it is now coming to the US. The Mystic White version of the Galaxy Z Flip 5G is similar to the Cloud White Galaxy S20, but it has a more pearlescent look in comparison. Both new color variants are available through Samsung’s website in the US, and they will be shipped starting December 8.

The unlocked Mystic Red Galaxy Note 20 costs $1,000, but it comes with an instant rebate of $150, bringing its price down to just $850. Samsung is also offering a trade-in value of up to $550 in the US and a $100 gift voucher that can be used on Samsung’s website while buying other products. It is also available in AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular versions.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5G’s Mystic White color variant is priced at $1,450. Samsung is offering up to $600 trade-in value for compatible smartphones while buying the Galaxy Z Flip 5G.

• Buy Galaxy Note 20 Mystic Red from Samsung USA
• Buy Galaxy Z Flip 5G Mystic White from Samsung USA

Galaxy Note 20

• Model: SM-N980F
• Dimensions: Bar: 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Super AMOLED Plus
• CPU: Exynos 990
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

Galaxy Z Flip 5G

• Model: SM-F707B
• Dimensions: Folded: 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm
  Unfolded: 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm
  
• Display: 6.7 inch / 170.18 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
• CPU: Snapdragon 865+
• Camera: 12MP

More specifications

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Weekly SamMobile Quiz 54 – Come test your Samsung knowledge!

Fancy yourself as a Samsung superfan? Take our quiz and see how many answers you can get right! This is a fun activity that we do with our readers every week to test their knowledge of the Korean giant. The quiz has a mix of easy and difficult questions that most fans should be able to answer without turning to Google.

We make a new quiz for you every weekend so we hope that you’ll participate and learn a thing or two about Samsung in the process! Don’t forget to share the results of the quiz with your friends and see if you can outscore them. A little competition never hurt anybody!

Remember, if the quiz isn’t loading properly, please access the non-AMP version of this webpage.

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