TL;DR
- Samsung is reportedly thinking about launching its new foldables earlier than planned.
- The company is apparently thinking about bringing the launch forward by two or three weeks.
- It’s believed that an earlier launch is motivated by poor earnings.
Samsung traditionally launches its foldable phones in August each year, and we’re expecting the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 to debut this time. However, it sounds like we could be in for an earlier launch this year.
Korean-based outlet The Elec reports that Samsung is considering a plan to launch the new foldables two or three weeks sooner than initially planned.
According to the outlet, Samsung originally planned to launch the foldables in the second week of August. But the Galaxy maker is reportedly thinking about an earlier launch as it’s worried about its poor Q1 earnings.
Not quite a done deal
The Elec‘s sources also claim that the company only sold “slightly” more Galaxy S23 phones than expected in the first quarter. Samsung did, however, claim a 22% yearly revenue boost and a 3% boost to operating profit in this quarter. The company is also apparently bracing for a poor second quarter. So an earlier Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 launch could deliver a stronger Q3, which would help offset two consecutive quarters of poor performance.
One potential stumbling block for an earlier launch is the availability of parts. The news outlet claims that some component production plans have been shifted forward to accommodate the possibility of an earlier launch. However, it’s believed that production plans for other components are still sticking to the original August launch window.
Another possible downside to an earlier foldable launch is that Samsung could see a tougher Q4, owing to Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 sales slowing down. But the company reportedly believes that a strong third quarter is the more pressing challenge right now. Either way, a competitively priced, volume-shifting Galaxy S23 FE would be a good fit for Q4, wouldn’t it?
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