Galaxy Z Fold 3 production has reportedly started

Samsung itself has already confirmed more or less that there will be no Galaxy Note 21 this year, which means that fans of the company's smartphones will only have its foldable phones to look forward to in the coming months. Whether they sink their teeth and money into those is, of course, a different question whose answer will be determined by price and availability. Samsung is keenly aware of this overly cautious attitude towards its foldable phones and is seemingly taking an equally cautious approach to the early production of the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

According to WinFuture's sources, Samsung has already gotten the ball rolling by starting mass production of the components to be used for the upcoming foldable phone. By starting the process as early as June 1st, Samsung is sending signals that it will be launching the device two or three months later. This pretty much confirms leaks that Samsung's next Unpacked event will be held either in late July or in August, with product availability following a week or two later.

The report, however, also notes that Samsung is only producing a third of the volume it usually prepares for more "normal" flagship smartphones. That isn't surprising, though, given the build costs and higher selling price of this foldable, which translates to greater risks. Samsung will apparently only produce these foldable phones gradually in order to be able to make adjustments along the way, depending on how well or poorly they sell.

Price will definitely play a huge factor in the Galaxy Z Fold 3's success but it won't be without reason, even if it proves unconvincing. There are areas where Samsung seemed to have taken a step back, like in screen size or battery capacity, and other areas where it has advanced the device, like support for the S Pen. There is still some disagreement on whether that stylus will be stored inside the phone or not.

In contrast, the Galaxy Z Flip 3, if it will indeed be called that, is expected to actually be cheaper than its predecessor. That's despite reportedly having a larger cover display on the outside and upgraded specs. Production for this foldable clamshell hasn't started yet but it is still expected to launch at the same time as the Galaxy Z Fold 3.