Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 demonstrates how much foldable devices have improved in just three generations. The smartphone now has a more durable design, features ultra-thin glass on the main foldable screen, and supports the S Pen stylus for taking notes and signing documents on the go.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is available now, and it makes a few improvements to the design that made the Z Fold 2 so interesting. Although the shape and hinge are fairly similar, it now features water resistance, somewhat better screens, a new CPU, support for the S Pen, and new software that fully takes advantage of the folding form factor. Hopefully an upgrade will bring the same software to earlier Folds.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 is so excellent that it just might convert those who are skeptical of foldable phones. Some of the issues with durability were addressed by Samsung. For instance, the display is up to 80% more durable, and the entire phone is water resistant. Want to use your enormous 7.6-inch screen for more things? To create a more immersive display, there is compatibility for the S Pen and an under-display smartphone camera.

Consider folding phones to be too expensive? We’re sorry, but we’re not much help there. At least it’s $200 less expensive than its predecessor at debut, even though this sequel is still expensive at $1,799. The new $999 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a better option if you’re seeking for a foldable that is genuinely inexpensive.

Design

Even while it’s still somewhat large, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 adds a lot more durability. You’ll be relieved to learn right away that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold is IPX8 water resistant, meaning it can endure immersion in water up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes. Although we don’t think many people will submerge this foldable in water, it’s reassuring to know that can withstand anything from splashes to rain.

Unfortunately, our review sample is not waterproof, however we have obtained a Galaxy Z Fold 3 and will test that device before updating this review. We wouldn’t feel comfortable taking the Z Fold 3 to the beach because it is not dust proof. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is further strengthened by its tougher Armor Aluminum body and Gorilla Glass Vitus display, which are made to withstand drops and scratches. Last but not least, Samsung asserts that the Z Fold 3’s screen is 80% more durable since it uses a new protective PET coating in conjunction with “optimized” main screen layers.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 mostly follows the design and use of the Galaxy ZFold 2. The Z Fold 3 is very slightly smaller, thinner, and lighter when compared to previous models, however the change in practical use is insignificant. It feels less cumbersome than the one from the previous year since the camera on the rear has been redesigned. It still protrudes with its own camera hump, but in my opinion, it looks nicer and more stylish.

The phone’s back is made of matte glass, which feels wonderful and has a modern appearance. I adore the general elegancy and steal thinness of the black variant we have here. A 6.2-inch, 2268×832-pixel display with a 2.73:1 aspect ratio is visible on the outside of the device. It has a stunning AMOLED display that is vivid, bright, and sharp. Additionally, a 120 Hz refresh rate is now supported.

Software

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is all about multitasking. With the Multi-Active Window feature, you can run two apps side by side (by dragging and dropping content between them) or run up to three apps at once. And now the improved App Pair feature allows you to create shortcuts for two apps later in the same way they were open.

Don’t feel like constantly scrolling from the right side to open the Edge panel to see these and other apps? Samsung has added a new Taskbar feature that allows you to switch between apps on the fly; it is simply located on the right side of the display, like the Windows Taskbar. To make the taskbar work, we had to dig into the Settings menu and turn on Samsung Labs, something most people won’t know how to do.

Once activated, the app bar is a great addition. We like the ability to take a look at the number of Slack notifications, for example, and quickly switch to that app. Or we could quickly open our favorite pair of apps: Gallery and Messages. Samsung Labs can also force apps not optimized for foldable displays to run in Multi-Active Windows mode.

Hardware and Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 does not skimp on its internal components; the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 is excellent and its 12 GB of RAM is inferior only to the high-end Galaxy S21 Ultra and some gaming phones. Even the 256 GB base storage level should be sufficient for most users. If you are a prolific photographer or videographer, you will probably have to look for cloud backup of photos even if you upgrade to the 512 GB model.

The Snapdragon 888 has recently been superseded by the Snapdragon 888+, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful. I loaded a couple dozen Google Chrome tabs while running a YouTube video in the background without any slowdown. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 takes it a step further by running three apps at once. Scrolling through YouTube, Samsung Internet and Facebook remained smooth.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 achieved a multi-core Geekbench 5 score of 3,418, which is nothing new, but is easily among the best available today. It is just behind the Galaxy S21 Ultra (3,440), but is more easily beaten by the OnePlus 9 Pro (3,685) and the iPhone 12 Pro Max (4,111).

S Pen

Since I have always found it cramped to use a stylus on even the largest phablets, it is refreshing to see Samsung add support for the S Pen to a 7.6-inch folding phone. There is simply more room to take notes, sketch or mark up documents without having to constantly zoom in.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s S Pen support immediately presents a problem. Although the stylus will work with the folding phone, it is not included, nor is there a built-in slot for the stylus as in the Galaxy Note models. Instead, the S Pen is an accessory to be purchased separately, in addition to the $1,799 already spent on the phone. If you want a way to store the pen, you need a specially designed case, which is another purchase.

Two S Pen options are available: the $49 S Pen Fold Edition and the $99 S Pen Pro. The latter offers Bluetooth connectivity to support features such as aerial gestures and other remote control capabilities. The S Pen Fold Edition is simply a writing instrument, although it is specially designed with a bendable tip to work with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 screen.

Camera

As you can see, they feature the standard Samsung appearance. They immediately catch the viewer’s attention since they are vibrant and colorful. If we were to nitpick and dig in-depth, there are a few instances when the sharpness goes too far. If you’re going for realism, some hues, like the green in the plants and the blue in the sky, are a little more vibrant than they ought to be. However, outside from that, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s camera consistently has a decent command on dynamics extremely bright spots don’t burn out.

Dark spots receive the proper exposure. Even though it’s not Samsung’s greatest camera, the Z Fold 3’s camera nevertheless acts and functions like a flagship camera. Take your pick when it comes to selfies. The 10 MP camera located above the outside display can be used to capture standard selfies. It’s not very good; because of the wide lens, if you are not using “group selfie” mode, the phone digitally cuts the image, reducing sharpness immediately.

Battery life

The dual battery capacity of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is 4,400 mAh, which is a little less than the 4,500 mAh capacity of the Z Fold 2. Additionally, the outcomes of our battery test for web browsing over 5G with a screen brightness of 150 nits left us unsatisfied. In 60Hz display mode, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 only lasted 7 hours and 52 seconds, while it lasted even less time in adaptive mode (up to 120Hz). On the same screen modes, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 lasted 10:10 and 9:05 minutes longer, respectively.

Since we used T-network Mobile’s the previous year, some of the discrepancy may be explained by that. We will update you with additional test findings. We utilized a 25W Samsung charger to evaluate the charge time as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 doesn’t come with a charger, as was to be expected. The phone’s 47% charge after 30 minutes isn’t awful. Additionally, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 supports wireless chargers at up to 10W. Additionally, you may reverse wirelessly charge additional devices up to 4.5W using the back of the Z Fold 3.

Price and Availability

Here at the GSMArena towers, we’ve recently been rather busy with long-term reviews of foldable phones. We’ve already evaluated Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip3 and Oppo’s maiden attempt at the market. So it’s time to return to the foldable movement’s beginnings, which obviously calls for focusing on Samsung’s Fold, the first mainstream line of foldable. The Fold is better than ever in its third version, but is it powerful enough to rule the globe? Or, even as we consider it in 2022, is the “phone that unfolds into a little tablet” form factor still too specialized and underdeveloped?

Final Words

There is no getting around the fact that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 costs a hefty £1,599. However, considering that it offers a considerably more cutting-edge design and a more comprehensive feature set than the 512GB iPhone 12 Pro Max, which costs £1,399, the price difference isn’t that great. Samsung device does make some compromises, particularly with the Z Fold 3’s camera, which is competent but not best-in-class – and the phone is obviously thick when closed.

Furthermore, because the crease in the middle of the screen affects drawing, meticulous illustrators might not get along with it. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 avoids many of the challenges that other folding phones have yet to address, yet it still has the same core design issues as other hybrid phones and tablets. Even while the few competitors are growing more potent, their lack of worldwide accessibility prevents them from succeeding.

Amy Hinckley
Amy Hinckley
The Dell Inspiron 15 that her father purchased from QVC sparked the beginning of her interest in technology. At Bollyinside, Amy Hinckley is in charge of content editing and reviewing products. Amy's interests outside of working include going for bike rides, playing video games, and watching football when she's not at her laptop.

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is now available and makes some improvements to the design that made the Z Fold 2 so attractive.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review