Samsung denies Galaxy Z Fold 2 was discontinued

Samsung has not discontinued its folding phone, despite what the company's US website may have suggested, with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G returning to the virtual shelves after its mysterious disappearance. Eagle-eyed foldable shoppers spotted the Android smartphone had disappeared from Samsung's site yesterday, leading to speculation that its Galaxy Z Fold 3 replacement was imminent.

Where the product listing for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 – which unfolds from a phone form-factor to a small tablet – usually could be found, instead there was a strange new message. "The Galaxy Fold is no longer available for purchase on Samsung.com," the page warned, "however please take a look at additional options in the Galaxy family."

What's interesting is that there's no shortage of speculation and leaks at the moment about Samsung's upcoming foldable. Expected to be the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G, there's been talk of support for Samsung's S Pen stylus, as was added to the Galaxy S20 Ultra. That would presumably require some sort of upgrade to the flexible OLED panel, to avoid what is still a fairly delicate screen from being inadvertently scratched by the S Pen's nib.

Today, though, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 listing is back, as though nothing has happened. "We're pleased with the excitement around the Galaxy Z Fold2 5G and encourage customers to visit Samsung.com for the latest updates on availability," Samsung told SlashGear in a statement this morning. "We want to clarify Samsung is not discontinuing the device."

It would appear, then, that the disappearance was a glitch rather than a sign of what might be happening with stock levels. That said, Samsung is running a fairly aggressive promotion on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 right now. Although the phone launched at around $2,000 last year, it's now available unlocked and SIM-free from $1,799.99.

With a trade-in, meanwhile, you can save up to $600 more off that, which potentially brings the Galaxy Z Fold 2 down to as low as $1,199.99. That's obviously still expensive for a smartphone, but a whole lot less than the sort of money you'd have been spending when the foldable first hit shelves.

What's curious is that both the Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze versions are listed as out of stock with all of Samsung's carrier partners, at least through the company's own site. If you want a Galaxy Z Fold 2, you'll have to buy it unlocked and then arrange for service separately – or, of course, simply drop in your existing SIM card.

Samsung isn't just tipped to have the new Galaxy Z Fold 3 for 2021. There's also rumored to be a new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, an updated version of its clamshell foldable, and some leaks have indicated there could even be Galaxy Z Flip 3 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 3 Lite variants joining the range as Samsung works to broaden the availability of folding-screen devices.