Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 may ship from 27 August, conflicting with previous rumours which indicated the foldable smartphones could arrive on shelves as early as July.

The new leak comes courtesy of industry insider Jon Prosser, of Front Page Tech, citing sources that claim Samsung has the date pinned as the shipping date. 

There's no information just yet regarding an official announcement - though, of course, this would almost certainly have to take place in the first half of August if the reported on-sale date is to be believed.

When that official announcement is made, it's also expected to be at an event that replaces the company's long-running Note event. 

Due to the ongoing global chip shortage, Samsung has hinted that it will skip over the Note in 2021 - perhaps even killing the line entirely. With the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE production also in doubt, it's possible that the Korean company will instead refocus its mid-year flagship event on the arrival of a new generation of foldable handsets. 

When the Z Flip and Z Fold do arrive, whenever that is, they're expected to offer some enticing new features, too.

The Z Fold 3 is rumoured to feature an under-display, hidden front-facing camera, and also have S Pen stylus compatibility. Even better, if true, the folding phone may even get a price cut from previous models.

The Z Flip 3, meanwhile, apart from skipping over the second generation in order to line things up with the Fold line, is expected to receive a display makeover, as well as an improved hinge and a bigger battery.

Of course, with regard to both features and release dates, it's all pretty much up for debate at the moment. And given the mixed nature of some of the leaks we've seen pop up over the last few months, it still feels like anything is possible.