Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 is more refined but still pricey

Samsung unveiled its latest flagship phone on Wednesday: the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Unlike last year, when the company only dedicated a small portion of its Unpacked event to the Fold 2, the third-generation foldable was the star of the show.

Rather than completely redesigning it, Samsung made the phone more durable, improved the app experience, threw in S-Pen compatibility, and lowered the price.

The Z Fold 3 won’t cost you a whopping $2,000 (or more) like its predecessor. The base model will start at $1,800, which is a little less daunting. The phone will be available for pre-order on Aug. 11 and will officially hit shelves on Aug. 27.

An emphasis on durability … again

It’s no secret that Samsung has been focused on durability since early review units of the first Fold peeled and broke in 2019. The second generation with Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) was an improvement.

In addition to UTG, the Fold 3 includes Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (which was also used on the Galaxy S21 lineup). It’s Corning’s strongest glass yet and it can withstand drops from up to 6.5 feet. The company also claims the Fold 3 is 80 percent more durable than its previous foldables.

Meanwhile, the outside of the phone features new “Armor Aluminum,” which Samsung says is the “strongest aluminum ever used on a Galaxy smartphone.” That should help protect against dings. It’s also thinner and a bit more lightweight than the Z Fold 2, coming in at 9.55 ounces versus 9.95 ounces.

Samsung also redesigned the camera setup on the back. We’ll get to exact specs later, but as far as aesthetics go, the foldable phone now has a more subtle, circular camera bump instead of the previous rectangular shape.

And, for the first time ever on a Z Fold, the new foldable comes with IPX8 certification, meaning the Fold 3 is water resistant. That way, you can use it in the rain without worrying about damaging it.

Samsung also incorporated the free-standing hinge the Fold 2 had (originally inspired by the Z Flip). It allows you to position the phone at different angles, whether you’re watching a video on YouTube or taking a pic on the selfie camera.

This time around, the hinge is thinner and less defined, and Samsung isn’t offering the option to customize its color.

As for the phone’s color options, the Z Fold 3 will be available in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Green.

A main display that’s more streamlined

On the front, the Z Fold 3 has a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display (387ppi) while the main screen is a 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED display (374 ppi).

The 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, which was previously only featured on the main screen, is now on both displays. If you’re unfamiliar with adaptive refresh rate, it increases for multimedia content (like mobile games) and slows down for static web pages, emails, or social media apps to conserve battery life.

And speaking of battery life, the main screen includes what Samsung calls an “Eco display.” It’s 29 percent brighter than last year’s Fold 2, but the company says it consumes less energy.

Samsung also managed to tuck the in-display selfie camera underneath the main display, rather than keep the hole-punch on the right side. It’s supposed to create a more seamless viewing experience that’s uninterrupted by the camera.

The company says the new placement won’t impact the camera’s image quality. But it’s worth noting the company did downgrade the selfie camera from a 10-megapixel sensor to a 4-megapixel sensor. According to Samsung, it’ll rely on AI image processing to create quality photos and video, but we need to test that claim out.

The same recycled cameras

On the back, the Z Fold 3 features the same cameras as its predecessor.

The triple camera setup includes: A 12-megapixel wide-angle camera (f/1.8 aperture), 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera (f/2.2 aperture), and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with up to 10x digital zoom. Meanwhile, the cover display includes a 10-megapixel front-facing camera.

Considering the Fold 2 had very capable cameras that delivered great images, I don’t mind that it doesn’t offer a ton of exciting upgrades.

But it would’ve been a lot more exciting if Samsung used its 30x Space Zoom technology, a mix of optic zoom technology and software-based, AI-powered digital zoom, which was featured on the Galaxy S21.

As for under the hood…

Powering the Z Fold 3 is Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888 — the same one powering the Galaxy S21 lineup — with support for 5G. It supports both slower sub6 and faster mmWave 5G, depending on what’s available in your area.

You’ll also have the choice between two storage configurations: 12GB of RAM with 256 GB of internal storage or 12GB with 512GB of storage. Of course, the latter will cost a bit more at $1,900.

As for battery life, the Fold 3 packs a 4,400mAh dual battery which is a bit smaller than the 4,500mAh on the Fold 2. But hopefully the adaptive refresh rate and Eco display should help conserve power.

Enhanced multitasking capabilities

If there’s one thing Samsung constantly stresses about the Z Fold lineup, it’s that it’s great for multitasking. And the Z Fold 3 has some new features that should make that even easier.

With a new feature called Labs, you have the ability to customize the size of the app window so that you can use it in split-screen mode without losing functionality.

For full screen functionality, you can also adjust the aspect ratio for certain apps. For example, if you’re using Instagram and black bars appear on the sides, then you can adjust it so that it takes up the entire display instead.

Aside from that, other features include the ability to pin the Edge Panel (which you can customize to include your favorite or most-used apps) to the display. That way, you don’t have to constantly swipe on the display to access it.

The new foldable is compatible with Samsung’s DeX Mode, too. You can connect the Fold 3 to a monitor for a desktop-like experience or use it as a second screen.

The S-Pen lives on

Even though Samsung nixed a new Note series this year, it still lives on through the Fold 3, which has S-Pen support. The pen is sold separately, however, and there’s no dedicated slot for it on the device. For storage you’ll have to purchase Samsung’s folio case for $80, which also comes with the S-Pen Fold Edition.

You can opt for either the new S-Pen Fold Edition or the S-Pen Pro, which was originally released for the Galaxy S21 Ultra earlier this year.

The S-Pen Fold is exclusive to the Fold 3 and works more like a writing instrument. As with previous S-Pens on the Note lineup, you can use it for things like signing documents and taking notes. It also supports Samsung’s Air Command feature, which gives you the ability to take a screenshot, launch the Samsung Notes app, and more by pressing the button on the S-Pen.

The S-Pen Pro, on the other hand, is backwards compatible with the S21 Ultra. It also comes with Bluetooth and gesture controls, so you can wave it in front of the Fold 3 and trigger different actions. And with on-board memory, you can copy and paste text between Samsung devices.

With all those features packed into it, it’s probably not surprising the S-Pen Pro is a lot thicker than the S-Pen Fold. And more expensive, too.

In terms of pricing, the S-Pen Fold will cost $50, while the S-Pen Pro will set you back $100.

If it ain’t broke …

Samsung’s Z Fold 3 doesn’t bring a ton of new features to the table. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Clearly, the Z Fold 2 only needed minor improvements.

With a more durable frame, better multitasking features, and a lower price, Samsung was clearly listening to last year’s critiques. But we’ll know whether or not the foldable delivers on its promises once we put it through its paces.

Regardless, I’ll take a new Z Fold over a new Galaxy Note any day.