Samsung ambushes iPhone 13 with affordable Galaxy Z Fold Lite

A new report sheds light on the game-changing cut-price Z Fold Lite

Z Fold
(Image credit: Samsung)
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The floodgates guarding Samsung Fold news have been utterly obliterated with tantalising reports on the Galaxy  Fold 3’s upgraded feature set and even a triple-fold design leaking. Adding to all this excitement, new details have dropped emphasising how special next year’s foldable lineup could be. 

That’s because Samsung is looking to release not just refreshed Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models but a Z Fold Lite that will bring the innovation of the Z Fold 3 for a price that won’t starve your wallet. 

Courtesy of Korean tech site The Elec, the Z Fold Lite is likely to release in the first quarter of 2021 in close proximity to the highly-anticipated Galaxy S21 launch. Whilst there’s not much information yet on what cutbacks will be made to justify the ‘Lite’ label, it will share the Z Fold 3’s 7-inch internal screen and 4-inch external screen. 

Existing Fold owners might notice that the external screen size is smaller on the Z Fold 3 than its predecessor (6.2 inches). This could be a consequence of investments made towards new screen technology accommodating the S-Pen and an under-screen camera. 

To prevent issues caused by stylus pressure on flexible glass displays, Samsung is increasing the thickness of the ultra-thin glass on the Z Fold 3 from 30mm to 60-100mm. While not quite as ultra-thin as its moniker suggests, the change will prevent the S-Pen from leaving permanent marks on the display. 

Furthermore, the report notes low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LPTO) thin-film transistors (TFT) are used in the screen as suspected to increase power efficiency. 

Whilst rumors point towards a final Note 21 release, the introduction of a Lite model and S-Pen into the Fold series indicates that the foldables will indeed take on the flagship role. 

For those who prefer the clamshell foldable design, the Z Flip 2 is scheduled to launch alongside the Z Fold 3 in the third quarter of 2021. The design is reportedly sticking close to the original Z Flip albeit with a 3-inch external screen, a significant improvement over the original’s 1.1-inch screen. 

An earlier leak indicated the Z Flip 2 would boast longer battery life, an upgraded hinge and potentially even high refresh rate. 

There’s plenty here to be excited about for foldable fans, but it’s yet to be seen whether competition in the rollable market from LG could throw a spanner in the works. One thing’s clear – next year is going to be crammed with innovative and surprising shakeups for the smartphone market. 

Source: The Elec 

Jacob Heayes
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