As the third installment of Samsung’s foldable poster child, the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G smartphone is packed with significant design and hardware improvements. The most consequential novelties include a tougher build with an official rating for water resistance, and a pair of smooth AMOLED displays, with the bigger one having support for the iconic S Pen stylus.
Priced at $1,799.99, the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G costs $200 less than its predecessor at launch. However, it is still vastly more expensive than conventional top-shelf smartphones with only one display.
Key Specs
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset
• 7.6-inch foldable QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate, 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X secondary screen with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate
• Triple camera with 12MP main, 12MP telephoto, 12MP wide-angle, 10MP selfie camera, 4MP under-display camera
• 12GB of RAM, 256/512GB of storage
• 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity
• 4,400 mAh battery, fast wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• Built-in stereo speakers, IX8 waterproof
After a week of using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G as my go-to smartphone, I couldn’t help but marvel at its unrivaled versatility. By easily replacing a premium smartphone and a high-end tablet, the high-priced, do-everything Android powerhouse might be worth the splurge for luxury smartphone buyers. Here’s a breakdown of its design, hardware, and overall performance.
DESIGN
The latest Galaxy Z Fold’s most important design changes include a more durable construction with a tougher aluminum alloy, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and an official IPX8 rating for water resistance. The device’s main screen, on the other hand, is almost twice as tough as its predecessor’s, thanks to a protective film that stretches, as well as beefed-up layers.
I distinctly remember how delicate the first Z Fold was when I held it back in 2019, and I'm happy to report that this version undoubtedly feels like a higher-quality product. Weighing almost 10 ounces, the Galaxy Fold3 is also expectedly heavier than a conventional smartphone.
Water resistance was notably missing on the product’s past iterations, which is an absolute must for a top-tier smartphone at this price point. Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G now guarantees peace of mind during countless usage scenarios (rainy walks, pool parties, etc.) by allowing the expensive gadget to survive complete immersion in up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) of water for 30 minutes.
But unlike other Samsung Galaxy phones that can survive exposure to water and dust with an IP certification, the Z Fold3 only has a mere rating for water resistance. Translation? You should still be careful when using this phone on the beach, because sand and saltwater can damage it — and given its shape-shifting design and intricate hinge, that’s no surprise.
Next-level durability aside, the product has an identical design to the previous generation. It can instantly transform from a slightly taller smartphone to a compact tablet with a squarish shape and screen. This awe-inspiring trick is, once again, the main reason why you should consider switching to the foldable phone.
DISPLAYS
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G's mass appeal is its multiple screens, and neither of them disappoint. AMOLED displays have been a Samsung Galaxy calling card for more than a decade and the Z Fold3 has not only one but two of them. In addition to being sharp, bright, and capable of displaying dramatic colors and contrast via millions of individually powered pixels, both of the product’s screens have a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. The functionality makes onscreen interactions more fluid, just as you would expect from a high-end Android phone.
The foldable main screen of the device has compatibility with the Samsung S Pen — a Galaxy Z Fold first. The optional accessory makes the Fold3 perfect for countless tasks — from cranking out notes through making fine edits to high-resolution images, all the way to unwinding with a digital coloring book. Also, with Samsung not unveiling a new Galaxy Note installment for the first time since 2011, the Z Fold3 is today’s most productive Galaxy smartphone.
I tip my hat to Samsung for integrating one of the selfie cameras of the Galaxy Z Fold3 so neatly underneath its main display. When not in use, the camera will turn into a barely distinguishable, slightly pixelated dot instead of a distracting punch hole. The bigger screen also has a very mild crease, which doesn’t impact its overall functionality.
The 6.2-inch secondary display of the Fold3 is just as vibrant and ideal for use with one hand. I enjoyed being able to quickly reply to emails, Slack messages, and texts on the move — but with displays like these, it's hard not to marvel at the little things.
CAMERA
Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Z Fold3 with a triple main camera that’s plenty versatile and capable of capturing excellent photos and crisp 4K video. The camera app’s interface is intuitive and suitable for beginner and experienced mobile photographers alike.
However, despite being the most expensive Samsung Galaxy, the latest Fold is not Samsung’s best camera phone. This accolade still belongs to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, whose 108-megapixel main sensor and head-spinning zoom capabilities are in a league of their own. That said, I reckon that a camera bump à la the S21 Ultra would have made the Fold3 unwieldier and more expensive.
When it comes to selfie cameras, be aware that the one that’s embedded into the smaller screen of the Z Fold3 is more capable than the “invisible” secondary sensor. The last-mentioned snapper has a lower resolution and inferior optics, so it is only suitable for video calls and teleconferencing. If you're obsessed with selfies (it’s OK to admit it!), there’s also an option to snap them using the main camera with the phone unfolded and its secondary screen doubling as a neat viewfinder — a unique feature thanks to its foldable design.
PERFORMANCE
The Galaxy Z Fold3 is one incredibly fast and powerful smartphone. With Qualcomm’s range-topping chipset, more RAM than many laptops, and super-fast flash storage, the device conquered my workflow with ease. It opened apps instantly and switched between a double-digit amount of active ones just as easily.
Gaming on the Z Fold3 is also an excellent experience, courtesy of the device’s powerful hardware, fast display with good stereo speakers, and up-to-date Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. I enjoyed Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming on the phone. All I needed to turn it into a mini gaming rig was a wireless controller and a case with a built-in kickstand.
The Fold3 packs a sophisticated dual battery, but just like every other smartphone, the performance of the battery depends on your usage habits. During my testing, the smartphone could make it through a day of use, which included a careful balance of screen time between both displays. However, the moment I focused my attention on the bigger panel, the battery percentage indicator began a much faster countdown from 100.
Compared to high-priced conventional smartphones like Samsung’s own Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the Z Fold3’s battery life leaves a lot to be desired. Still, considering the product’s unique form factor and the capabilities it brings, I believe it's a totally reasonable compromise to make.
Thankfully, the Fold3 has fast wired and wireless charging capabilities, so there’s no need to wait too long to top up its onboard batteries. You should also know that disabling its screens’ silky refresh rate will significantly improve the product’s battery endurance.
USER EXPERIENCE
Samsung’s One UI custom Android interface is packed with handy features to help you take full advantage of the Fold3’s unique form factor. From peerless split-screen multitasking all the way to using the partially folded phone for video calls or as a dual-screen camera rig, there are countless convenient features you can access.
There are also Android apps that work well on the device’s big screen. While testing the phone, I found Microsoft Outlook’s desktop-like, split-screen view to be especially helpful.
WRAP-UP
The Samsung Galaxy Fold3, while imperfect, is not only the tech giant’s most refined foldable smartphone but also the new product category’s best offering. Its improved build quality, unrivaled multitasking capabilities, and legit ability to replace a duo of devices while fitting in a jeans pocket are undeniably appealing. If you are looking for the ultimate Android and don’t mind the Fold3’s hefty price tag in your budget, there’s plenty to like about it.
Dropping $1,800 will get you a Fold3 with 256GB of non-expandable storage. Doubling the latter to 512GB costs only $100 more, so I highly recommend the upgrade. Samsung offers the phone in black, green, and silver, with each color option sporting a phantom moniker.
The Samsung Galaxy S Pen Fold Edition costs $49.99, and it comes with a nifty storage pouch. For $30 more, you can snag a Z Fold3 case with a bundled S Pen. The accessory has a detachable holder for the stylus, so it’s the one I’d pick.
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