Samsung just can’t quit foldable phones: Meet the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3
Samsung keeps iterating on its foldable phone line-up with better raw specs, S Pen support, and increased durability.
Samsung has a fever and more foldable phones are the only prescription. And thus today the biggest name in Android phones announced the third generation of its foldable Galaxy smartphones: the Galaxy Z Fold3, a flagship model that opens like a book, and the smaller Z Flip3, a
less expensive model that opens vertically and harkens back to the flip phones of the early 2000s.
Both phones include new features to improve durability, which may help mitigate public perception that foldable phones just can’t withstand the rigours of, well... repeated, incessant folding. And you’re going to want a sturdier phone, given Samsung’s price tags: £1,599/£1,699 for the Galaxy Z Fold3 and £949 for the Galaxy Z Flip3.
GALAXY Z FOLD3 5G: FEATURES
The Z Fold3 comes with S Pen support, and with its expansive 7.6in, 2,208x1,768 main display, it directly targets the Galaxy Note audience, which won’t be getting a new model this year and may now be looking for a new productivity experience. The phone’s Dynamic AMOLED cover screen (which you use when the Z Fold3 is folded up) is a no-excuses 6.2 inches with 2,268x832 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate for ultra-fluid screen response.
Anyone looking to buy the expensive Z Fold3 must have both deep pockets and big pockets, as this big boy is 6.2 inches tall and 0.6 inches thick when folded. As a point of comparison, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is about a quarterinch thick.
Both the Fold3 and Flip3 promise a new level of durability thanks to IPX8 water resistance; a new Armor Aluminium construction (“the strongest aluminium ever used on a Galaxy smartphone”); and Gorilla Glass Victus, Corning’s strong phone glass ever. The phones also come with a new protective film made of stretchable PET, and Samsung promises the new folding screens are 80 percent more durable than what came in previous folding-phone generations.
Even with the Z Fold3 folded up like a traditional phone, you’ll have access to
three rear cameras: an Ultra Wide (12Mp, 123-degree field of view); a Wide Angle (12Mp with 83-degree field of view, dual-pixel autofocus, and optical image stabilization); and a Telephoto (12Mp with a 45-degree field of view and dual optical image stabilization). At the front of the folded phone is a 10Mp camera with an 80-degree field of view.
When in its unfolded, tablet-like state, you’ll also get a 4Mp camera with an 80-degree field of view for video calls. The reason for the lower resolution is because the camera is Samsung’s first to fit under the display. While it’s a neat effect that creates an unobstructed view when using the tablet, you’ll still see the camera peeking through from under the screen in some lighting.
5G is standard on both models, and the Z Fold3 has 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. Samsung is being vague on the two phones’ processors, but you can rightly assume it’s using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.
Specifications
• 7.6in (2,208x1,768; 374ppi) Foldable
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ display; Cover display, 6.2in (,268x832), 25:9 ratio Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus display
• Android 11, One UI 3.1.1
• Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) processor
• Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680, 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 680, 4x 1.8GHz Kryo 680) CPU
• Adreno 660 GPU
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB/512GB storage
• Three rear-facing cameras: 12Mp, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76in, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 12Mp, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6in, 1.0µm, PDAF,
OIS, 2x optical zoom; 12Mp, f/2.2, 123-degree, 12mm (ultra-wide), 1.12µm
• Selfie camera: 4Mp f/1.8, 2.0µm, under display; Cover camera, 10Mp, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3in, 1.22µm
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
• Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
• NFC
• USB Type-C 3.2
• Fingerprint scanner (side mounted)
• Non-removable lithium-polymer 4,400mAh battery
• Fast charging 25 watts
• Unfolded: 158.2x128.1x6.4mm; Folded: 158.2x67.1x14.4-16mm
• 271g
GALAXY Z FLIP3 5G: FEATURES
The smaller Z Flip3 may be the more intriguing proposition, as the modernized flip-phone design offers generous screen real estate and should fit reasonably well in today’s ridiculously undersized jeans pockets. Folded up, it’s a porky three-quarters-of-an-inch thick, but only 3.4 inches tall. Your pocket will protrude a lot, but you’ll actually be able to sit down.
The whimsical Z Flip3 comes in Cream, Green, Lavender, Pink and White, and features a 1.9in Super AMOLED cover display that’s four times larger than the previous Galaxy Flip generation. You can use the tiny display to view notifications, texts messages, and various widgets designed for the small form factor. The main screen is 6.7in with a 2,640x1,080 resolution. Not too shabby for a phone that’s smaller than an Altoids box when folded up.
The Z Flip3 has a more sober array of cameras. The front selfie cam is 10Mp with an 80-degree field of view. On the back, there’s a 12Mp Ultra Wide with a 123-degree field of view and a 12Mp Wide-Angle with a 78-degree field of
view, dual-pixel autofocus, and optical image stabilization.
Specifications
• 6.7in (2,640x1,080; 426ppi) Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+display; Cover display, Super AMOLED, 1.9in (512x260)
• Android 11, One UI 3.1.1
• Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) processor
• Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680, 3x 2.42GHz Kryo 680, 4x 1.8GHz Kryo 680) CPU
• Adreno 660 GPU
• 8GB RAM
• 128GN/256GB storage
• Two rear-facing cameras: 12Mp, , f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55in, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 12Mp, f/2.2, 123-degree (ultra-wide), 1.12µm
• Selfie camera: f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
• Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
• NFC
• USB Type-C 3.2, USB On-The-Go
• Fingerprint scanner (side mounted)
• Non-removable lithium-polymer 3,300mAh battery
• Fast charging 15 watts
• Unfolded: 166x72.2x6.9mm; Folded: 86.4x72.2x15.9-17.1mm
• 183g