Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Review, Pros and Cons – People who were looking for foldable smartphones can pick up the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. With innovation at its peak, this model comes at a high price. As the name suggests, users will use a folding phone which can make usability more interesting. Coming after Fold 2, the Galaxy Z Fold3 phone has a lot more to offer. The phone will be released on August 27, 2021. While it’s still an expensive choice, users will get updates like S-pen support, increased durability, and water resistance.
It is important to note that the old S-pen will not work on this new phone. Those who have used their predecessor phones know the charm of using them. The starting price is slightly lower than its previous model, the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but the design is similar. With an AMOLED screen, the latest processor, almost unchanged cameras and so many significant multitasking features, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 can be an incredible choice. So let’s dive into the detailed review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone.
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Review
Highlights
- Where the cover display comes a 6.2 inches Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen and the foldable displays come with 7.6 inches with the same Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen.
- Coming with an Android 11 operating system and an OneUI 3.5 interface, it is easy to operate anything with any problems.
- When it comes to performance, a 5nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset is all you need to get the best performance.
- There is a 12MP triple-camera on the back, while the selfie cameras are split into two parts – one displays a camera under the 4MP under-display selfie camera, while the cover displays come with 10MP Cover camera.
- Instead of the 4500mAh battery as in the Galaxy Z Fold 2, the new model comes with a 4400mAh battery.
Design and Display
As the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone is foldable, the layout must be different same as the Galaxy Z Flip 3 smartphone. Coming with an aluminum frame, the gorilla glass Victus front screen. With amazing colors like Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Green, it offers a relaxing experience for the eyes. There is a triple camera and the fingerprint sensor is on the right sidebar. The Galaxy phone offers a longer-lasting feel than its predecessors. A book-like design holds your attention while you use it.
One of the most attractive features is its massive 7.6 inches Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen, while the cover screen displays a 6.2 inches Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. The internal screen uses an AMOLED panel with a 1768p resolution for a great viewing experience. On the other hand, the external display has a resolution of 832p with a 25:9 aspect ratio. Motion blur won’t be an issue because of its 120Hz refresh rate on both sides display. The brightness of the screen is 1200 nits at peak might be worth it when using the phone in direct sunlight.
Samsung took care of its layout with adjustable measures. You might feel heavy carrying a 271g phone, but lighter than its previous model. While the unfoldable portion exhibits a thickness of 6.4mm, the folded portion has a thickness of 14.4 to 16 mm. The materials used in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone are more durable, but the durability of the plastic foldable screen is still a concern. It has more to do with writing and drawing because it comes with improved S-pen support. Plus, you will get water-resistant up to 1.5m for 30 mins.
Memory and Internal
What’s most interesting is its latest built-in feature. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 phone runs on the Android 11 operating system. As the phone is dedicated to multitasking, the presence of these latest features makes it more attractive and every operation runs smoothly. In addition, Samsung offered a custom UI for a prudent decoration of your phone.
The taskbar option is great on this phone. You can easily check any notification if you want to work on other applications simultaneously. With the help of Multi-Active Windows, you can watch Netflix on one side and do anything on the other part of the screen. The foldable screen can work for 2 separate displays on each half.
On the other hand, some of the high-end smartphones come with the 5nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. This phone has a remarkable performance without any doubt. You won’t experience any performance issues here. As all the best features are available on this phone, you won’t be disappointed by its performance. The Octa-core processor handles 1x 2.84GHz maximum clock speed which helps to play all the high-end games. The presence of the Adreno 660 graphics unit makes your visual experience engaging.
With 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 phone gives you a great experience. You can surf the web, chat, play games simultaneously and there will be no lags. Although it is a basic variant, you can opt for the superior variant which comes with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage variants the Galaxy Z Fold 3 delivers the best performance you’ve ever wanted.
Camera
You won’t get much in the camera section. That’s why this section is the worst section on this phone. While some of the cool features like the under-screen selfie camera and a cover camera might appeal to you. Rear cameras include a 12 MP main camera with Dual Pixel PDAF and OIS. Secondary cameras include a 12MP telephoto and a 12MP ultrawide sensor.
In terms of quality, you’ll get sharp photos with good clarity. The presence of the ISO and 2x optical zoom makes these photos more interesting. On the other hand, the new iPhone 12 Pro Max beats it in terms of more clarity and accurate colors. If you compare the two phones, you’ll feel the difference in vibrant colors, blur effects as well as clarity.
Same cameras as Galaxy Z Fold 2, this phone doesn’t prove to be better. With the Night Mode option, you will lose realistic colors compared to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The latter is brighter and exhibits more clarity with colors. Coming to the front cameras, there are some nice features you’ll notice.
There are two selfie cameras, the folded display comes with a 4MP under-display camera and the cover camera displays a 10MP selfie lens. Although there is a slight difference in both cameras, you can still take good quality photos in daylight. Both rear and selfie cameras are capable of recording 4k video with a stabilization feature. While 8K video recording is expected in this price range smartphone.
Battery and Others
Powered by a Li-Po 4400mAh battery, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 model discourages the feature you had in your previous model. You can expect a full day-long battery life. According to company information, there will be a 25W fast charger, an 11W fast wireless charger, and a 4.5W reverse wireless charger. With such enduring features, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is definitely a choice with a high budget, but you should also check out your competitor. The starting price of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone is $1800 (Rs 1,32,990) approx.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone.
| Specifications | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | August 2021 |
| SIM | Nano SIM |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm Folded: 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4-16 mm |
| Weight | 271g (approx.) |
| Size | Foldable: 7.6 inches Cover Display: 6.2 inches |
| Display | Foldable: Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz HDR10+ 1200 nits brightness ~372 PPI density Cover Display: Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz Gorilla Glass Victus 25:9 ratio |
| Protection | IPX8 water-resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) Stylus support |
| Resolution | Foldable: 1768 x 2208 pixels Cover Display: 832 x 2268 pixels |
| OS | Android 11, One UI 3.5 |
| Chipset | 5nm – Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G |
| CPU | Octa-core 1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680 |
| GPU | Adreno 660 |
| Card slot | No |
| RAM | 12GB |
| Internal | 256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1 |
| Camera | 12 MP (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP (123Ëš ultrawide) LED flash, HDR10+, panorama, gyro-EIS Max – 4K@60fps |
| Selfie | Foldable: 4 MP (wide), under display Cover camera: 10 MP (wide) HDR, gyro-EIS Max – 4K@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC | Yes |
| Infrared port | No |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro proximity, compass, barometer Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) |
| Battery | Li-Po 4400 mAh Fast charging 25W Fast wireless charging 11W Reverse wireless charging 4.5W |
| Colors | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Green |
| Expected Price | $ 1800 (Rs 1,32,990) approx. |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Pros and Cons
Down below you can see the list of pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone.
pros
- Foldable design with double AMOLED display.
- Water resistance and Victus glass protection on the front screen.
- Support for stylus (Spen).
- Decent performance with 5nm chipset.
- Amazing camera with 2x zoom.
- 4K video recording with gyro-EIS support.
- Dual selfie camera.
- NFC and 5G enabled.
- Decent battery life with fast charging.
- Fast wireless charging with reverse wireless charging enabled.
cons
- No dust resistance.
- Without support for micro SD card.
- Unable to record 8K video.
- Fingerprint mounted on the side instead of under the screen.
- Little heavy phone.
- Not made for single hand use.
- Little expensive phone.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are so many multitasking features that can appeal to any user. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 phone is also suitable for gamers and smartphone lovers. It could be an innovative model in the smartphone industry. There has been a buzz for a few months about this model. If you want to eliminate boredom using the traditional smartphone and want to change it, Fold 3 can be a good choice.
On the other hand, it might be a bad choice because of its average camera and battery. Whether you’re a gamer who plays long hours of games, you’ll be uncomfortable with the battery life. At the same time, you will never get the same result that a 108 MP gives. If you’re looking for an alternative, it’s hard to recommend a folding phone with many disadvantages. You can check the new Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 smartphone with many advanced features at a decent price range.
