"Folding Gamble Launched" Tonight's 'Galaxy Unpacked', Three Key Points to Watch

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 Unveiled at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked on the 11th at 11 PM

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] "Get ready to unfold." Samsung Electronics' 3rd generation foldable smartphones, the ‘Galaxy Z Fold3’ and ‘Galaxy Z Flip3’, will make their official debut at the ‘Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021’ event held online from 11 PM on the 11th.

This Unpacked event, which reveals Samsung Electronics' ambition to declare the ‘foldable popularization’, can be summarized in three key points. First are the technologies applied for the first time in foldable phones, such as the under-display camera, S Pen support, and waterproof functionality. This is why No Tae-moon, President of Samsung Electronics' Mobile Communications Business, which leads the smartphone business, expressed confidence by saying, "We focused on providing functions essential to today's life more faithfully."

The Z Fold3 supports the S Pen, a signature feature of the ‘Galaxy Note’. This has been a consistent demand from consumers since the launch of foldable phones in 2019. The under-display camera (UDC) feature, which hides the camera hole on the smartphone screen, is also included, making the exterior design more refined. Additionally, both the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 are the first foldable phones to feature IPX8-rated waterproofing, capable of withstanding a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. These pioneering technologies can also be read as Samsung Electronics' declaration to continue its leadership in the foldable phone market.

Whether the newly unveiled products can lower the entry barriers to foldables is another point to watch. A representative barrier is the price. The previous model, the ‘Galaxy Z Fold2’, had a launch price well over 2 million KRW, which was a burden making it difficult for consumers to purchase readily. Moreover, since Samsung Electronics decided to go ‘all-in on foldables’ this year without releasing the Note series, which typically sells around 10 million units cumulatively per series, how much they have lowered the price barrier will be crucial for the popularization of foldables. It is also important to see how much they have improved issues such as hinge creases and durability, which were considered drawbacks of foldable phones. The Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 are reported to have lowered their launch prices by 400,000 KRW compared to their predecessors and have undergone tests to ensure no issues even after being folded and unfolded 200,000 times.

The final point to watch is whether there is a ‘new surprise’. This Unpacked event faced concerns of becoming a lackluster event due to unprecedented leaks of new product specifications and official images right up until just before the event. Because of this, some speculated that the ‘Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE)’, whose release schedule was delayed due to semiconductor supply issues, might make a brief appearance at the event. The S21 FE recently appeared briefly in an image posted and then deleted on Samsung Electronics' official Instagram.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.