Galaxy Z Flip 3 needs to be cheaper, or this will never work
Prices for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 need to be less expensive than reported, or foldables will never see the lofty heights of popularity that Samsung intends they reach. Samsung Display could continue to manufacture foldable display panels and hardware companies could continue to create foldable display-toting smartphones and tablets and new sorts of devices all they want, but the key – the connection Samsung Mobile has to the hardware – needs to make bank to keep this vehicle rolling. To make that happen, they need to make a more affordable smartphone.
A recent report that originated with the Korea Herald suggested that Samsung will release three phones on August 11, 2021. It's suggested there that Samsung will release the higher-end Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 with S Pen functionality as well as two Galaxy Z Flip 3 models, one standard, one Lite.
The Lite version of the device is reported to be a "mass-market model with a more affordable price tag." If Samsung's reported Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G (as noted in the article above, via FrontTron on Twitter) is to be believed, there'll be a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage with a price at $1249 USD. That's $200 cheaper than its predecessor, but not nearly cheap enough to appeal to mass market consumers.
If the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Lite is priced at around $999, it might be the machine that gets Samsung foldable displays in consumer hands en masse. If Samsung follows through with the pricing adjustment model they've set in the past, we could potentially see the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold models from the last couple of years made affordable enough to be sold alongside mid-tier smartphones with carriers – that'd be an extra bit of wrapping on the package.
But if Samsung decides to stop production on earlier foldable devices and sticks with high prices on new Galaxy Z smartphones, the foldable display universe may be doomed. Cross your fingers and fold your displays in anticipation of August – we shall see!