Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review: the best foldable phone, so far

Two-minute evaluate

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is designed to persuade you that the third time's a allure with regards to shopping for into the way forward for foldable telephones, and with out a Galaxy Note 21, there's plenty of strain on Samsung to make good on that adage.

Good information: we have absolutely examined the Z Fold 3 for almost two weeks now, and it is change into the first foldable cellphone that we are able to suggest to those that would ordinarily think about themselves early adopters, however who handed up on the first two iterations of Samsung’s foldable, with out hesitation.

We've been carefully evaluating its acquainted 2-in-1 design, decided to fold and unfold the 7.6-inch versatile show till we might do it in our sleep with the intention to correctly check its sturdiness.

The consequence? This model of Samsung’s foldable cellphone feels stronger than its two predecessors: it’s waterproof this time, whereas its mini-tablet-sized internal display screen withstood our meanest stylus strokes with the new S Pen and S Pen Pro.

S Pen assist makes good sense on a display screen of this dimension, and it was one thing that individuals had been clamoring for with the first two Folds. There’s extra writing and drawing actual property right here than on any Galaxy Note smartphone, but not so massive that it’s inconvenient like a full-sized conventional pill that must be stowed in a bag. The Z Fold 3 will be closed to half and caught in a pocket.

It might properly change the approach you utilize your cellphone day after day, particularly in the event you spring for the S Pen and a case to hold it in – sadly, the stylus is offered individually and doesn’t tuck inside the cellphone. That inconvenience will probably be jarring for long-time Note followers, even when we discovered the new stylus greater and simpler to make use of than the Note’s toothpick-sized S Pen.

Also, you’ll have to dial again your digital camera expectations: that is one more foldable with cameras which can be good, however which lack the zoom-in oomph of the Samsung Galaxy S21 and final 12 months’s Note 20 Ultra. There is one standout digital camera perk: an under-the-screen digital camera neatly obviates the want for punch-hole on the extra seamless internal show, though the 4MP digital camera high quality loss is noticeable.

The massive hook to the Z Fold 3 is its barely cheaper worth in comparison with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, and, perhaps extra convincingly, the glorious trade-in offers Samsung is providing in lots of areas once you pre-order forward of the official launch date.

Those who had their doubts about the first two generations of Samsung’s foldable, had been proper to carry ‘em, but now it may be time to fold ‘em.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 release date and price

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 release date was August 27, 2021 in the US and UK, while in Australia it’s September 10. Some of those that pre-ordered obtained their telephones early with us listening to a number of reviews of this in the US and UK.

The Z Fold 3 worth is cheaper than the launch worth of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, however be warned: foldable telephones are nonetheless notably dearer than standard top-end smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or iPhone 12 Pro Max.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 — (Image credit score: SociallyTrend)

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It begins at $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,499 for a mannequin with 256GB of storage, whereas if you would like further capability you may get a 512GB Z Fold 3 for $1,899 / £1,699 / AU$2,649. The Z Fold 2 began at $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,999 when it was launched in 2020.

In the US, Samsung is providing some tempting trade-in offers – as much as $800 off in the event you flip in an older gadget, be it a cellphone, pill or wearable, or any mixture of the three, and you'll add as much as 4 units to succeed in that most worth. You might, then, get this cellphone for $999, and that’s a way more compelling price ticket.

In the UK you’ll have the ability to stand up to £250 trade-in in your cellphone, and pre-ordering will get you a Fold Starter Kit which contains a charger, a case to your Z Fold 3 and an S Pen stylus.

In Australia, Samsung is providing trade-in reductions of as much as AU$500, together with a selection of bonus reward bundle, which varies between the two fashions. You might rating Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, or certainly one of the energy or productiveness packs that features objects like the S Pen, cellphone case and charging mat.

Design

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 retains the book-like design and performance of its two predecessors, with a restricted however usable 6.2-inch Cover Display on the exterior of the handset that opens as much as reveal a large 7.6-inch show on the inside.

The two shows, and a hinge mechanism that can help you fold and unfold this cellphone, mix for the most head-turning cell gadget design in 2021. Yes, we’ve seen it twice earlier than, however most individuals we confirmed the Z Fold 3 to nonetheless haven’t seen something prefer it.

And that’s what you’re paying for: the wow issue of having the ability to pull a cellphone out of your pocket and unfold it to not solely reveal a 7.6-inch tablet-like show, however to additionally present that you just're symbolically forward of the know-how curve.

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Samsung has made enhancements to the hinge, and the supplies used are extra sturdy than these employed in all earlier foldable telephones we have examined. In reality, Samsung is claiming the Z Fold 3 is 80% stronger than its prior foldables; and positive sufficient, there’s a noticeable distinction once you unfold the gadget, particularly in the event you’re upgrading from Gen 1.

It’s sturdier than the Fold 2, and the firm’s Ultra Thin Glass feels much less mushy this time round – that’s vital whether or not you’re enjoying video games or swiping via Instagram and TikTok movies.

The Z Fold 3 design is outstanding, even when it doesn’t all the time appear sensible. You'll need to recover from the reality that you just're paying a premium to hold the thickest flagship smartphone in many years when as we speak’s thin-and-light telephones are considerably cheaper. It’s a contact lighter than the Z Fold 2 at 271g in comparison with 282g, but it surely’s nonetheless a hefty handset.

New in the Z Fold 3 is water resistance, and we did check this out with out breaking our super-expensive evaluate unit. We even unfolded it underwater – and whereas we flinched, the cellphone’s sturdiness didn’t. However, its IPX8 score means you received’t have the ability to take this cellphone to the seaside, because it’s not dust-resistant. Grains of sand will probably be the Achillies’ heel of foldable telephones for a while to return, it appears.

Display

Samsung’s tablet-like 7.6-inch display screen with a 120Hz refresh charge continues to be the key promoting level of its foldable smartphone.

With a large 24.5:9 facet ratio, the Fold 3 has change into our most popular strategy to learn ebooks and surf the web on a cellphone. Columns on web sites really seem subsequent to one another as an alternative of being stacked vertically, and we even bought spreadsheet work achieved with out feeling defeated, as we normally do on a conventional smartphone.

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You'll nonetheless need to be taught to disregard the still-noticeable center crease that is part of this internal AMOLED show. But we discovered that straightforward, as we shortly turned mesmerized by the massive display screen, and what it affords us in on a regular basis use instances.

We've bought plenty of pleasure out of enjoying video games with out our thumbs protecting up the whole show when reaching for on-screen controls. We additionally confirmed off a YouTube video to a gaggle of buddies with out having at hand over our gadget and with out them having to squint – the Z Fold 3 display screen is simply that massive.

The Cover Display, expanded to six.2 inches when the Z Fold 2 launched in 2020 as a result of overwhelming suggestions on the Z Fold 1, reveals the identical dimensions right here – it’s tight, particularly once you’re attempting to faucet away on the skinny keys of the slim Cover Display keyboard, however at the very least the display screen refresh ratio has been bumped as much as 120Hz, matching what we have had on the internal show beforehand.

S Pen

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The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is suitable with the S Pen – and it’s a difference-maker for a cellphone that’s unofficially billed as the Note 21 Ultra substitute.

Samsung is promoting a brand-new S Pen specifically designed for this foldable cellphone. Actually, there are two of them: the S Pen Fold Edition, and the bigger S Pen Pro, with Bluetooth for Air Actions and USB-C charging.

While in the Note series the included S Pen was toothpick-sized and housed inside the physique of the cellphone, these new S Pen equipment are separate purchases and bigger, so they don’t tuck into the Fold. But we discovered the dimension, much like the dimension of the S Pen for Samsung’s tablets, to be extra artist- and note-taker-friendly.

If you’re anxious about puncturing the delicate display screen of the Z Fold 3, don’t be. Its stylus tip will retract if an excessive amount of strain is utilized, and so far we haven’t had a problem when drawing and scribbling notes throughout our testing.

The solely factor we really feel is lacking right here is S Pen assist on the Cover Display. Samsung has included its screen-off memos on the bigger internal show, and the thought looks like a pure match for the Cover Display.

Cameras

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

(Image credit score: SociallyTrend)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 cameras are good, however not groundbreaking; you’ll both be happy with the finely detailed pictures and video, or disenchanted that this Note 21 Ultra-replacement doesn’t take issues a lot additional than final 12 months’s Z Fold 2. It relies on how a lot camera-phone comparability purchasing you do.

The digital camera specs mirror what we bought a 12 months in the past: a 12MP f/1.8 principal digital camera, a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide digital camera, and a 12MP f/2.4 telephoto digital camera that’s able to 2x optical zoom. You’ll get optical picture stabilization in the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras on this new gadget, however little else has modified.

The Z Fold 3 takes sharp and shiny pictures with punchy colours, as you’d anticipate from virtually any Samsung cellphone in 2021; however upon nearer inspection, we discovered that the S21 Ultra principal digital camera from six months in the past captures extra element, as does the iPhone 12 Pro Max from almost a 12 months in the past. You won't miss it although, except you take a look at the outcomes side-by-side or have a eager eye for element.