Samsung's first 'budget' foldable phone could launch early next year

A report published by ETNews earlier this month claimed the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be the first Samsung phone to have an under-display camera. More details about Samsung's 2021 foldable lineup has now surfaced, courtesy of OLED research firm UBI Research.

As per the report, Samsung is currently working on three foldable OLED panels, which suggests the company may launch three new foldable phones in 2021. In addition to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 2, Samsung is also tipped to be working on an "affordable" foldable device called the Galaxy Z Fold Lite.

The Galaxy Z Flip 2 is said to feature a 6.7-inch internal display with a centered hole-punch cutout, identical to the current Galaxy Z Flip. However, the upcoming foldable will sport a much larger 3-inch cover screen. Surprisingly, the report claims the Galaxy Z Fold 2 successor will have a smaller 7-inch main display and a 4-inch cover screen.

While the Galaxy Z Fold 3 may come with smaller screens than its predecessor, it will be the first Samsung foldable with S Pen support and an under-display camera. To allow the screen to withstand the pressure from the S Pen, Samsung will apparently be using a cover glass with a thickness between 60 and 100μm. The cover glass on Samsung's current foldables has a thickness of 30μm.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold Lite, which will be more affordable than the other two models, is also expected to have a 7-inch main display and a 4-inch cover screen. While the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 2 are planned to be released in the third quarter of 2021, the Galaxy Z Fold Lite could debut in the first quarter. All three phones will come with Ultra Thin Glass displays.