Samsung Won’t Launch a New Note at Galaxy Unpacked, but Will Bring S Pen to Its Foldables

Samsung on Tuesday confirmed that it would not unveil a new Galaxy Note flagship at its Galaxy Unpacked event on August 11 and instead bring its third-generation Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip foldable phones that are speculated to be Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, respectively. The company's mobile chief TM Roh made the confirmation through a blog post on its website. Corroborating the rumours, he said that instead of bringing the new Galaxy Note this time, Samsung will bring S Pen to its foldable phones. Some fresh renders of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as well as its certification details additionally emerged online ahead of the formal announcement.

Just two weeks prior to the all-virtual Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung President & Head of Mobile Communications Business TM Roh wrote a blog post to confirm the absence of the new Galaxy Note in the company's 2021 lineup and S Pen support coming to foldables.

“Instead of unveiling a new Galaxy Note this time around, we will further broaden beloved Note features to more Samsung Galaxy devices,” Roh said.

Roh also hinted at the launch of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 at the forthcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.

“We will unleash our latest and greatest Galaxy Z series to reshape the smartphone category and completely reimagine your experiences,” he stated.

He also mentioned that to bring an enhanced foldable experience, the company worked closely with partners including Google and Microsoft.

“From hands-free optimised video calling with Google Duo and watching videos in Flex mode on YouTube to multitasking in Microsoft Teams, our foldable ecosystem will offer a wealth of seamless and optimized experiences,” the executive noted.

Roh stated that the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold would combine the best of smartphones and tablets, while the new Galaxy Z Flip would feature a more refined style, along with more durable and stronger materials. Some leaks suggested that both new foldables would include water resistance and improved hinges.

Roh didn't explicitly mention any details on whether Samsung is planning to launch any other new devices at the Galaxy Unpacked event. The rumour mill, however, suggested that the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Buds 2 could be amongst the other announcements at the virtual launch.

But nonetheless, the executive talked about Samsung's recent collaboration with Google to build a new unified wearable platform. He also specified the development of One UI Watch interface that is touted to be deeply integrated with other Galaxy devices and provide consistent connectivity between the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy smartphone. It is likely to be a part of the company's new smartwatch.

In addition to Roh's blog post, some fresh renders suggesting the design of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 have been posted by WinFuture.de. The phone appears to be reminiscent of the original folding cell phones.

The renders hint at some design improvements over the Galaxy Z Flip. The phone is expected to be priced at around EUR 1,200 (roughly Rs. 1,05,300).

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 specifications (expected)

Some specifications of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 have been leaked by WinFuture.de. These include a 6.7-inch primary display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, 8GB RAM, along with 128GB and 256GB of storage. The display of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is also expected to have a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. It could be paired with a secondary display that is larger than what's featured on the Galaxy Z Flip last year.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is also expected to have a 10-megapixel camera at the front and two 12-megapixel sensors at the back.

Tipster Evan Blass also tweeted some of the purported specifications of the Galaxy Z Flip 3. He mentioned that the secondary (cover) display of the phone would be 1.9 inches in size. The Galaxy Z Flip came with a 1.1-inch display. Furthermore, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is tipped to have IPX8 water-resistant build.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 specifications (expected)

Alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Blass also posted possible key specifications of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. The smartphone is expected to have a 7.6-inch primary (internal) display and a 6.2-inch secondary (external) display. It is also tipped to have a triple rear camera setup with 12-megapixel sensors, a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the cover, and a 4-megapixel selfie camera sensor on top of the display. Further, there would be an IPX8 rating, just like the Galaxy Z Flip 3.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is expected to come with two optional S Pen versions — Pro and Fold Editions. Additionally, Blass tweeted an image that appears to show both Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3.

91Mobiles has also leaked some renders, suggesting a protective case for Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. The case appears to have a flap covering the external display and a holder for the S Pen that seems to be kept just after the hinge design.

The S Pen that appears on the leaked renders is likely to be the Fold Edition as it doesn't seem to have any physical buttons — unlike Samsung's normal S Pen versions that do carry a capsule-shaped physical button. The Pro version of the S Pen, on the other hand, may come with a button for selecting the text and bringing dedicated single- and double-press controls.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 case leaked to suggest how the company's planning for S Pen integration
Photo Credit: 91Mobiles

Although the case appears in a black colour, Samsung may bring some other colour options at the time of launch. It is also currently unclear whether the S Pen will be compatible with both external and internal displays or just limited to the external one.

The S Pen Pro of Galaxy Z Fold 3 has received a certification in Indonesia with a model number EJ-P5450, as reported by MySmartPrice. It seems to be a different model over the S Pen debuted with the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Additionally, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 has also received a certification in Thailand. The phone appeared on the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) site with a model number SM-F711B.

The Galaxy Unpacked event is just a few days away. But in the meantime, we can expect more new teasers and rumours to emerge online.