Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 reportedly being produced in ‘staggering’ numbers
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are reportedly being produced in “staggering” numbers ahead of their rumored release this summer.
According to the well-connected leaker Jon Prosser, the two foldable phones have now gone into production — which, if true, would fit with their supposed release date of August 27. But the rumored scale of production is more than a little surprising: Prosser writes that Samsung is ordering between 50,000 and 70,000 units per day with the aim of making 7 million in total.
That may not sound like many when you consider that Apple apparently sold between 7 and 9 million iPhone 12 units in the handset’s first sales weekend, but foldables with a four-figure price tag are a distinctly less mass market proposition.
Indeed, Samsung only produced 1 to 2 million foldables over the last two generations combined, so if Prosser’s information is correct, it would indicate the company is confident that this is the year folding phones go mainstream.
The year of the foldable?
Prosser doesn’t provide a breakdown of the ratio between Folds and Flips, but assuming that overall 7 million figure is correct — and bear in mind this is still a rumor, even if the source has a strong track record — is that a realistic target for Samsung?
There are likely two factors that have dampened foldable sales potential so far: reliability and price. For the first, Samsung has answered its critics in style. While the original Galaxy Fold was famously delayed after review units broke, the eventual released product was far more reliable, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 improved on the design in every way, with a phone that was both sleeker and significantly more hardy.
