Samsung unveiled earlier this month the new Galaxy Z Fold 3, its latest flagship folding smartphone. We thought we’d check out the Z Fold 3 to see the technological improvements Samsung has made to its range of folding smartphones.
Foldable smartphones are still expensive and, as Samsung’s flagship, the Z Fold 3 is priced from $ 1,799.99, which is more than what you pay for some computers. Of course, it’s designed to serve as a phone and as a tablet, so there’s a little more versatility than your average smartphone.
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By design, the Z Fold 3 is Samsung’s best folding device to date, as the camera sits on the screen for a complete design. It looks fantastic and while not completely hidden, it maximizes the space available on the screen.
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The Z Fold 3 is a book-shaped device where the two sides are joined in a fold inwards. When folded, the outer screen measures 6.2 inches, and when unfolded, it has a full 7.6-inch screen inside. We saw that the screen was brighter, sharper and more vibrant than Samsung’s Z Fold 2.
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Aside from the dual and viewing camera, the Z Fold 3 is basically on par with other smartphones. It has a 120Hz screen, three 12-megapixel rear lenses and a 10-megapixel front camera. It features IPX8 water resistance, a 4,400 mAh battery and a more durable screen protector film than previous Samsung folding devices.
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The Z Fold 3 is Samsung’s first folding that supports the S Pen and Samsung has designed an S Pen just for the new smartphone. It has a tip designed to pull back a bit as you type to prevent screen damage and has the same S Pen functionality available with other Samsung devices. The S Pen is an optional add-on, so there is no dedicated storage.
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As for the folding functionality, Samsung did a better job with the hinge this year and the folding mechanism feels more durable and will withstand the damage better.
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At this price point, the Z Fold 3 is still a niche device for which most people will not want to pay the price, but it is a definite improvement over the previous Z Fold 2. Samsung now has a few years of device Apple’s folding development, so it will be interesting to see how the folding Apple iPhone is measured if you never see a version.
The Z Fold 3 is best displayed on video, so be sure to watch our video above to see it in action.