Samsung is readying a big shake-up of its high-end smartphones for 2021. It seems like even the Galaxy Z Flip 2 launch will be affected by this, and will not be unveiled before the second quarter globally.
In 2020, the Galaxy Z Flip shared the stage with the S20 in February. With the Samsung Galaxy S21 series expected to be made official in January 2021 - almost a month earlier than usual - it looks like the Z Flip 2 will take a little longer to arrive and won’t be a part of the January Unpacked event.
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Korean news site The Elec, which has historically been accurate about information on Samsung, suggests that the Galaxy Z Flip 2 has been removed from the launch lineup. This is supposedly being done to avoid cannibalization of products internally, as the S21 Ultra and the Z Flip 2 are likely to be in the same price segment.
If all the reports and rumours pan out to be true, the Galaxy S21 series will be the only high-end smartphone from Samsung in Q1, followed by the Z Flip 2 in Q2 and the Z Fold 3 in Q3. Perhaps the most interesting bit is that there will be no Note series flagships starting 2021, as the Korean giant will look at affordable foldables to take its place. The legendary S Pen is said to find solace in the S21 Ultra and the Z Fold 3 instead.
At the first Unpacked event in 2021, we also expect the Samsung Galaxy Buds Beyond to be unveiled. Not much is known about it except the inclusion of improved water-resistance, so it is a little early to understand if it will be a successor to the Galaxy Buds Plus or a parallel product line such as the Buds Live.
The report also stated that Samsung is targeting having six million units ready at launch, split between the Galaxy S21, the Galaxy S21 Plus and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. This figure is not very different from what Samsung had in 2020 for the S20 lineup.
There is still a lot to be known about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2, such as differences in the design, a bigger cover display, a new hinge and glass mechanism, higher refresh rate display and the specifications. Regardless, one thing is certain: foldables are a big part of Samsung’s 2021 plans, as it aims to extend its lead in this space.
