In spite of global market instability, the Galaxy Fold 2 is still following the initial release schedule Samsung laid out months ago. The South Korean electronics juggernaut is hence reportedly set to begin mass manufacturing parts for its next foldable Android smartphone next month; mid-May, to be more precise.
It's understood the firm already completed a trial production run of the Galaxy Fold 2, finalizing the design of the upcoming flagship which is widely expected to launch in August.
First Galaxy Fold 2 units may leak as early as June
Industry sources from Samsung's home country claim the company should start assembling Galaxy Fold 2 units within weeks of the first parts being produced. In other words, first real-life Galaxy Fold 2 sightings might happen as early as June, based on the circumstances wherein Samsung's past smartphones leaked prior to their official announcements.
The Galaxy Fold 2 is rumored to be slated for an unveiling alongside the Galaxy Note 20, though it remains to be seen whether Samsung's second Unpacked event of the year will be an actual physical happening or merely an online-only presentation. In any case, this will be the company's third foldable Android handset, following in the footsteps of the recently released Galaxy Z Flip and the original Galaxy Fold.
Earlier this week, SamMobile exclusively reported on Samsung's overall strategy for the Galaxy Fold 2, learning that the upcoming handset will have a lower starting point than its direct predecessor which debuted at nearly $2,000. That plan was at least partially prompted by the excellent market response to the notably more affordable Galaxy Z Flip whose introductory price sits at about $1,400, depending on the market.
Another aspect in which the Galaxy Fold 2 is said to be more similar to the Galaxy Z Flip than the first Galaxy Fold is weight, as Samsung supposedly found a way to make its original foldable phone concept much lighter. For reference, the Galaxy Fold tipped the scales at 263g, whereas the Galaxy Z Flip weighted 183g.
It's still unclear whether Samsung intends to release an LTE-only variant of the Galaxy Fold 2, though the flagship member of the upcoming mobile family is bound to offer 5G support.
