The initial excitement for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 has faded away now. Samsung fans have had a lot of time to read and watch all of the material available online to decide whether they will buy Samsung’s latest foldable smartphone.
There are a number of reasons why the Galaxy Z Flip 3 might be appealing to customers. Those who skipped the predecessor over durability concerns will appreciate the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s improvements in this area. The hinge has been fortified, there’s Gorilla Glass Victus, the foldable display has a tougher screen protector and the entire device is water-resistant.
It also delivers flagship-level performance with the Snapdragon 888 chip and 8GB of RAM. The cameras may not be there yet but at least the device is more powerful than the original model. That’s certainly a step in the right direction.
Or would your reason to buy the Galaxy Z Flip 3 simply be the lower price tag? Its predecessor started at $1,380. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 starts at $999. That gets you a significantly improved device that also has a refreshed design that appears more modern.
If you have decided to buy the Galaxy Z Flip 3, vote below and let us know your reason for spending $999.
What's your reason for buying the Galaxy Z Flip 3?
The Galaxy Z Fold 3, which was unveiled last week, comes with various improvements over its predecessor. It has a faster processor, a tougher body, an IPX8 water-resistant rating, and S Pen compatibility. The South Korean firm has now revealed that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 also features a more power-efficient display.
Samsung Display announced earlier today that it has developed a new flexible OLED panel called Eco OLED, which is used in the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The Eco OLED panel is 25% more power-efficient than the display panel used in the Galaxy Z Fold 2. To achieve this, the company used a new panel laminate structure rather than using a conventional polarizer. The new structure blocks external light reflection and increases the light transmittance by 33%.
The polarizing plate, usually used in OLED panels, is an opaque sheet that increases OLED visibility by stopping the light from outside the panel from hitting the electrodes between the pixels and being reflected. However, it decreases the light produced by the OLED panel by more than 50%. While other brands have tried replacing this polarizer, Samsung Display has become the first company to achieve it. The Eco OLED panel also allows UPC (Under-Panel Camera) to be used below the screen for a bezel-less and punch-hole-less viewing experience.
Samsung Display has trademarked the new display technology in seven markets, including China, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and the US.
Sungchul Kim, President and Head of Mobile Display Business for Samsung Display, said, “The Eco OLED is a groundbreaking technology that significantly lowers power consumption by improving upon panel design that has been the industry norm for years. With the shift to 5G and devices with larger, foldable screens, the industry needs energy-efficient components that offset the battery life concerns that these technologies can bring. In addition to the Eco OLED, Samsung Display will continue to optimize technologies and produce organic materials that reduce battery drain.”
The Galaxy Buds 2 is priced at KRW 149,000 (around $128), and it will be available in four colors: Graphite, Lavender, Olive, and White. While the Galaxy Buds 2 will reach store shelves in South Korea on August 27, the pre-orders will start arriving on August 24, 2021. Buyers who pre-order the new wireless earbuds will get a Galaxy Z Flip 3-style Flip Case. Samsung is also offering various cases in collaboration with Cafe Knotted.
The Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will be available for pre-order from August 17 to August 23 as well. Pre-orders will start arriving at customer doorsteps from August 24. Samsung has already sold the Galaxy Watch 4 in limited quantities via its First Trial Team program.
The Galaxy Watch 4 40mm is priced at KRW 269,000 (around $230), while the 44mm version costs KRW 299,000 (around $256). The 40mm LTE and 44mm LTE variants of the Galaxy Watch 4 are priced at KRW 299,200 and KRW 330,000, respectively. The 40mm version will be available in Black, Pink Gold, and Silver colors, while the 44mm version will be available in Black, Green, and Silver colors.
The 42mm and 46mm versions of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic are priced at KRW 369,000 (around $316) and KRW 399,000 (around $342) in South Korea. The 42mm LTE and 46mm LTE versions of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic cost KRW 399,300 (around $342) and KRW 429,000 (around $368), respectively. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will be available in Black and Silver colors.
Samsung will offer Google Play Store credits worth KRW 20,000 (around $17) to those who pre-order the LTE variant of the Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Those who pre-order the Bluetooth version of the Galaxy Watch 4 series will get a charging dock that’s shaped like Samsung’s The Serif lifestyle TV and Grande AI washing machine.
Samsung has revealed the pre-order dates and pricing information for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in South Korea. The company will accept pre-orders for these devices from August 17 to August 23, and the deliveries of the pre-orders will start from August 24, 2021. The phones will be launched on August 27.
The 256GB variant of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is priced at KRW 1,987,000 (around $1,700) in South Korea, while the 512GB variant costs KRW 2,097,700 (around $1,800). The 256GB version of the foldable phone will be available in Phantom Black, Phantom Green, and Phantom Silver. The 512GB version will be available in Phantom Black and Phantom Silver.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is priced at KRW 1,254,000 (around $1,077) in Samsung’s homeland. The foldable phone will be available in seven colors: Cream, Green, Grey, Lavender, Phantom Black, Pink, and White. Grey, Pink, and White versions will only be available from Samsung’s online store, though.
Those who pre-order Samsung’s new foldable smartphones will get the Galaxy Buds 2 for free. Those who pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will also get the Flip Cover with S Pen. Customers who pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will get three fashional covers: Silicone Cover with Strap, Silicone Cover with Ring, and Clear Cover with Ring.
Buyers who pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip 3 or the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will get one free protective cover for the foldable screen. They will also get a free one-year subscription to Samsung Care+, which includes accidental damage repair for two times, discounts on repairs, and three free visits to a service center.
Samsung is also offering attractive trade-in discounts to those who return older Galaxy devices while buying the Galaxy Z Flip 3 or the Galaxy Z Fold 3. For example, the company is offering a trade-in discount of KRW 1,100,000 (around $950) for returning the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Samsung is also offering other benefits that include a YouTube Premium subscription for four months, Millie’s e-book subscription for three months, a three-month subscription to audiobook service Welaaa, 70 comics on Naver, a three-month subscription to Joins Prime magazine service, and coupons for Three Kingdoms Blade smartphone game.
Interested buyers can experience the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in the Galaxy Studio section of more than 30 Samsung Digital Plaza stores across South Korea. Customers can also experience the smartphones for two nights and three days and even rent the Galaxy Watch 4 along with the foldable phones.
It was revealed three months ago that Samsung is working on an affordable smartphone, the Galaxy A03s. The device is expected to launch in Europe and India. Ahead of the upcoming launch, the specifications and pricing of the Galaxy A03s have been leaked along with its design.
The Galaxy A03s (SM-A037F) reportedly features a 6.5-inch TFT LCD Infinity-V display with HD+ resolution (1,600 x 720 pixels). The smartphone has a 13MP+2MP+2MP triple-camera setup at the rear and a 5MP selfie camera at the front. The rear-facing 2MP camera sensors are used for depth sensing and macro shots. The phone can record 1080p videos as well. The phone will be powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 15W fast charging.
In terms of internal hardware, the Galaxy A03s features a MediaTek Helio P35 octa-core processor, 3GB/4GB/6GB RAM, 32GB/64GB/128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot. The phone runs Android 11 out of the box with One UI 3.1. The phone will reportedly be available in three colors: black, blue, and white. The phone also features a dual-SIM card slot, LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The upcoming smartphone misses out on a fingerprint reader. It was leaked a few days ago that the Galaxy A03s could start at €150 in Europe.
No other smartphone manufacturer is shaking up the premium segment quite like Samsung. It’s no secret that growth has stagnated in the top-end of the market. There’s only so much you can chance on a candybar-style phone every year. That’s one of the reasons why we’ve seen Samsung focus so much on its mid-range and entry-level devices.
The company also wants to increasingly rely on foldable smartphones to dominate the premium segment. It’s singlehandedly trying to mainstream foldable devices. By moving into this space before some of its biggest rivals, Samsung has capitalized on the first-mover advantage.
The foldable device market is expected to grow 3x this year compared to 2020. The total shipments are likely to be around 9 million units. Samsung is likely to account for 88% of the entire market this year. Even as the foldable market sees a predicted tenfold expansion by 2023, Samsung is still expected to dominate with a 75% share.
At $2,000 and $1,380, Samsung’s first-generation Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip were quite expensive. It would be difficult for many customers to rationalize the purchase. After all, these were the first iteration of a new series that had yet to be proven in the real world. There were concerns about durability and longevity as well.
Samsung has gradually been building up the market’s confidence in its foldable smartphones. The Galaxy Z Fold is now in its third iteration. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is significantly better than its predecessors. It’s more capable, durable and even water-resistant. It’s also cheaper than before.
Despite a $200 price cut, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is still going to be a niche device at $1,800. A lot more people might take a chance on it this time around but the price will remain a hurdle in truly bringing this device to the mainstream.
This hurdle has been removed rather brilliantly by Samsung for the Galaxy Z Flip 3. By pricing it at $999, the company has broken the psychological barrier that would have prevented the average customer from viewing the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as anything but a normal device.
Customers who want a high-end smartphone are quite used to the $999 price tag. Samsung has itself sold plenty of flagship smartphones for $999. This is the same price as the Galaxy S21+. You can now get a foldable smartphone for less than the cost of a Galaxy S21 Ultra, the top-of-the-line “normal” phone from Samsung this year.
The average customer probably doesn’t read blogs or follow rumors about upcoming devices. They’re more likely to discover new devices in a retail store. So imagine someone coming across the Galaxy Z Flip 3 for the first time. They like the way it looks and the way it feels. They get pulled in by the device’s unique nature.
The customer doesn’t get a sticker shock when they look at a price. If anything, they would have been expecting it to cost $999 at the very least. They no longer have to justify the purchase in their mind since the price isn’t out of the ordinary. If they’re used to buying smartphones that cost that much, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 would feel just like any other device.
This is what Samsung is counting on to sell a ton of Galaxy Z Flip 3 units this year. It has managed to strike a balance for the two different types of customers. There are those who love to keep on top of rumors and devour spec sheets for breakfast will appreciate the Snapdragon 888 chipset with 8GB of RAM, larger cover display, more durable foldable display and the water resistance rating.
Then there are also customers who just walk into a store and buy a phone that makes sense to them for a price that doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. The $1000 psychological barrier that Samsung has broken for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will also entice the fans and knowledgeable customers to get off the fence and actually buy the device. It’s the best of both worlds, really.
The price has remained one of the biggest hurdles in popularizing foldable smartphones. Samsung has taken a step in the right direction for one of its models this year. The price may not fall below $999 by much in the coming years for future Galaxy Z Flip models, but many are going to find it perfectly acceptable at this level.
So the only question that remains is, are you buying one?
Anyone in the U.S. still hanging on to their carrier-issued Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ can expect a new security update to land on their device shortly. Namely, T-Mobile and its subsidiary Sprint have started pushing out the August 2021 patch level this morning. The new firmware version to be on the lookout for is either G960USQS9FUG2 or G965USQS9FUG2, depending on whether you’re rocking the Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+.
Verizon, AT&T, and prepaid carriers in the country are likely to follow suit in the coming days. Or weeks, at worst. Regardless, this is one of the final firmware updates for both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Samsung’s 2018 flagships are nearly three-and-a-half, at this point. They have accordingly been relegated to a quarterly release schedule earlier this year, back in spring.
This is one of the final security updates for the Galaxy S9 series
Meaning that as things stand right now, the Galaxy S9 series is only guaranteed two more security patches. Or half a year’s worth of updates, if you like. But getting four full years out of a smartphone sounds like a good deal in this day and age. Afterward, you might want to consider upgrading. A Galaxy S9-series smartphone was a suspect purchase even last year.
As for the August 1st, 2021 security patch level, this update already made its way to the unlocked variants of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in the U.S. It started to, at least, about a week ago. If you still haven’t received your download, try going to Settings > Software update > Download and install. Or turn to our firmware archives and do things the good ol’ manual way.
