Samsung has promised that more folding phones will appear this year. According to a new rumor, that first foldable phone may be coming sooner than we had expected.

A Korean publication called Bloter reports that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will ship in May. The report has no source, but comes from Samsung's earnings call this week to announce its quarterly results.

According to Bloter, on that conference call, Samsung's executive director of wireless said that updates to both the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip are in the works. We plan to enhance the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip lineup this year," said Samsung's Seong-gu Kim in a translated version of Bloter's article.

If that May date is accurate, it would be an earlier-than-expected follow-up to the Galaxy Z Fold 2, which debuted last August. Similarly, this year's version of the foldable phone was expected to ship later this year, either in parallel with or as a replacement for Samsung's Galaxy Note phablet.

Bloter's article noted two notable things about the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The new foldable phone could support the Galaxy S Pen - a rumor we have heard before, but now that the Galaxy S21 Ultra offers the same feature, it seems more likely. The report also claims that the new model "can fold the display twice."

Most rumors suggest that the next version of the Galaxy Fold will maintain the existing design, where the phone opens up like a book to reveal a larger screen. However, a concept design based on Samsung's patent for a multi-folding device was leaked last year, showing what a dual-hinge design Galaxy Fold could look like. It is unclear whether the concept art is an actual reflection of what Samsung is working on for its upcoming release, or if it is merely a designer's fantasy.

Adding S Pen support would be a big enough change for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, as it would expand the usability of a device that Samsung is already touting as a productivity booster. It is also expected to take advantage of the Snapdragon 888 processor found in the Galaxy S21 family.The Galaxy Z Fold 3 will also eliminate the need for bezels, notches, or quivering notches, and will be the first Samsung device to place the camera under the phone's display The Galaxy Z Fold 3 could also be the first Samsung device to place a camera under the phone's display, eliminating the need for a bezel, notch, or quivering notch.

We will soon find out how many changes Samsung plans to make with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. After all, there are only a few months left until May.