Galaxy Fold 2 is probably delayed
Two smartphones will be competing for attention on Samsung's stage next month, even if only one of them will be immediately available. That said, earlier leaks suggested that Samsung will be adopting a rather novel schedule that will see a new smartphone launched for each month in the next three months. It seems, however, that the timeline might have been too optimistic and there is now word that Samsung's next foldable phone might be missing its September launch target by a whole month at the earliest.
The Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will, of course, be the stars of the Unpacked 2020 show on August 5. It is expected to be joined by the Galaxy Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, and Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (Lite), at least as far as smartphones go. The Galaxy Note 20 is also expected to be available within a week or two, with the Galaxy Fold 2 following in September.
That may not be the case, according XDA's Max Weinbach. While there is a chance that Samsung will tease its next-gen foldable at Unpacked, it will probably be just that. According to Weinbach, the software for the Galaxy Fold 2 is far from ready and that's only the tip of the iceberg.
The delay in the firmware means there will be delays in other parts of the process before the foldable phone gets launched. That includes carrier testing and certification, something that Samsung will definitely want to get if it wants to make the expensive phone more accessible to consumers via carrier subsidies. According to Weinbach, there hasn't even been any carrier testing for the Galaxy Fold 2, showing only the Galaxy Note 20 and, curiously, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G on the list.
This is absolutely no surprise. The software isn't even close to ready for a September launch and there is very few mentions of anything hardware wise. It's likely been delayed a bunch and that's why.
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) July 11, 2020
Given those factors, including the lead-up time from testing to launch, the Galaxy Fold 2 may not even see the light of day until October, potentially throwing off Samsung's schedule. Then again, it could fill in the gap with the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, which probably required less testing anyway. It does, however, give Microsoft more opportunity to steal its thunder with the dual-screen Surface Duo.