Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review

Samsung’s new foldable phone, the $ 1,799 Galaxy Z Fold 3, launches Friday. I wasn’t impressed with the first two models, but after testing this one for two weeks, I absolutely love it. There are still too many tradeoffs for most people – especially battery life and how thick the phone is when closed – and it’s expensive. But I’m more and more convinced that Samsung is on to something.

Samsung’s foldables got off to a rough start. The first model was delayed after the breaking of the units sent to the examiners. The second version was much better. This year’s Z Fold 3 adds more refinements: it’s more durable, water resistant (but still not dust resistant), and supports a stylus for the first time. It also costs $ 200 less than last year’s model.

Samsung seems to be making a serious bet that foldable phones find a market. It’s launching two sizes, including this one and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 model, which looks more like a regular phone that folds in half.

As it did with the large-screen Galaxy Note, which was one of the first large-screen phones with a stylus, it was entering a new market long before Apple. By improving its screens year after year, it can prepare them for sale to other phone makers. As prices continue to drop, Samsung will be ready if consumers decide this is the next big phone trend.

Here’s what you need to know about the new Galaxy Z Fold 3.

I love that Samsung is experimenting with fun designs. Much of the recent advancement in phones has consisted of incremental improvements in network speeds, camera quality, and displays. But the design of the phone has remained relatively similar since Samsung first introduced large-screen “phablets” with its Note series in 2011. (Now those large screens are standard – the current iPhone Mini’s screen. Apple is actually taller, at 5.4 inches, than the Galaxy Note, which measured 5.3 inches.)

I liked being able to sit on the couch at night and pull a small tablet out of my pocket, instead of reaching for my iPad and hoping it was charged. The software is also improving a lot. The Google Chrome browser, for example, lets you browse tabs like you would on a traditional tablet or computer.

You can force apps like Instagram to resize and use full screen, which you couldn’t do last year. And I liked being able to run multiple apps side by side or in multiple windows. It’s convenient to chat with friends in one app, have Twitter open next door, and watch a movie floating on top of it all.

Samsung has also improved the durability of the phone. With new changes to the screen and protector, the combined durability of the screen is now 80% higher than before. There is still a bit of flex when you tap the screen, but it’s much better than the first version, which seemed too weak. Samsung has also made the IPX8 phone water resistant, which means you won’t have to worry about rain damage, but still avoid taking it anywhere with dirt or dust. could penetrate the hinge and behind the screen. So far I haven’t had any problems.

I also love that you can start doing something on the front screen and then continue to do it on the larger indoor screen. So if you search for a cafe in Google Maps on the outer screen, for example, and then open it, you’ll see a huge Google Map waiting for you. It works well for movies, if you want to start one with the phone open on your desk and then keep watching it on the larger indoor screen.

It is the first foldable phone from Samsung to support its S Pen. The company didn’t introduce a new Galaxy Note phone this year, but instead opted to add its stylus support to the Galaxy Z Fold 3. But, you have to buy a special version of the S Pen at 49.99. $ with a tip that retracts so that you don’t press too hard on the screen. Plus, there’s nowhere to store the pen, so all you need to do is keep it in your pocket or purchase a $ 79.99 case with pen storage.

It works well, despite the crease in the middle. I would have liked it to work like the previous S Pens, with the ability to control media or the camera shutter with the S Pen button. Instead, it’s best to just navigate the screen, draw, or write notes. I found it very useful for signing the occasional document.

At the end of the day, I really love that this phone is so different from anything out there, and I haven’t (yet) had to worry so much about getting damaged. It’s just fun. But it’s definitely not for everyone, and there’s still a lot of trade-offs for the price.

There are two big drawbacks to the Galaxy Fold 3: thickness and battery life.

He’s still stocky, even folded closed. Still, the outside screen still seemed a bit small when I tried to send emails. I made more typos. So I found myself using the bigger screen most of the time.

Unfortunately, it takes a lot of energy to run the 7.6-inch screen. I found out that I mainly had about four to four and a half hours of screen time on a charge, which isn’t much. I charged it fully, then surfed Airbnb for a place to stay on vacation, and two hours later the battery was at 50%. It’ll last a lot longer if you’re not using that big screen, but that’s kind of the point of the phone. It charges pretty quickly, but you’ll want to keep a battery or at least a charger in your bag.

Plus, yes, there is still a crease in the middle of the screen. It’s boring for a few days, but it kind of starts to blend in, and it’s hard to see when looking directly at the phone with the increased brightness. I think Samsung needs to get rid of the crease before it goes mainstream. Most people used to traditional phones will probably be put off by this.

The cameras are fine and you have a lot of choices including wide angle, zoom, and an ultra wide angle lens to fit more people into a shot. But it’s older cameras that were first introduced two years ago, so you’re getting outdated technology instead of the latest and greatest cameras that Samsung introduced on its S21 phones earlier this year. These cameras would have increased the cost.

Speaking of cameras, there’s a cool new underscreen camera on the big screen. Samsung’s goal was to make the camera’s black dot less noticeable, and that works in some cases, like when watching movies. But you’ll still see the camera if you’re looking for it – it looks like a scrambled pixel screen. Samsung had to make sacrifices for this. It’s a lower quality, so the selfies aren’t as crisp as they could be. You can still use any of the other four sensors for selfies, but you have to close the phone to use them.

I have a few other issues with the phone. The speakers ring a bit compared to other flagship phones, for example. And despite the increased durability, I’m still worried about breaking this phone a lot faster than a regular flagship.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is still not for ordinary people. But it’s a great phone for gadget geeks who know what they’re getting into.

I was not a fan of the previous models because I was afraid of water damage in the rain or the screen breaking. But it’s just super handy to have a tablet for reading, movies, email, and more in my pocket. That said, I’m a gadget geek, it’s the kind of fun new tech that I live for, and I know the risks and the trade-offs.

Most people still prefer to buy one of Samsung’s other high-end phones like the Galaxy S21 or Galaxy S21 Ultra which are even more durable, have better cameras, longer battery life and more. They just don’t function as a tablet.