FP StaffApr 22, 2022 13:21:39 IST
Like every year, Samsung is planning to release the next iteration of the Z series foldable phones by the end of the summer. As they prepare to launch the phones by August, it has started preparing components to manufacture the devices, and if the recent purchase orders that Samsung has issued are anything to go by, the South Korean tech giants are going in, all guns blazing.
Samsung has been dominating the foldable smartphone market ever since they took the concept of foldable devices mainstream. Sure there were some major issues with the first Z Fold, but ever since the second generation, Samsung has been going hard at it. There have been a number of other players who tried to get into the segment, like Motorola, with their Razr flip phone. However, no other player has been nearly as successful as Samsung.
Having said that, Samsung too has been struggling with the numbers of their Z series phones. Because of the complexity of the hinges, and the foldable screens in general, Samsung has been forced to price these devices astronomically high. The Z Fold3 5G for example, retails at over Rs 1.7 Lakhs.
According to a reputable leaker who goes by the username DSCCRoss on Twitter, Samsung is doubling the number of units of the Z Fold4 & Z Flip4, than it had for the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3. He also says that there might be a significant price cut for the fourth generation of the Z series.
Samsung’s Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 phone production for July are more than double what it was for the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. Pointing to a very strong launch. Might see a price cut.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) April 20, 2022
This means that Samsung is expecting the device to sell like hotcakes and want to be prepared for such a situation. Because apart from being a pretty good phone, the Z devices surely turn heads.
The Z Fold4 is also rumoured to be featuring a 108MP main camera, while the camera setup will be nearly identical to the S22U, barring the 10MP periscope sensor. Samsung might be able to keep the price of the devices down, due to a completely re-engineered hinge mechanism, and the fact that the Z Fold4 is ditching the S Pen for good. Although it will still support the S Pen stylus, it will be sold separately and will have to be housed in a special holster, since the device itself will not have the silo.