Samsung has leaped when it comes to foldable devices. It is perhaps the first smartphone manufacture that has produced such a high-quality and premium foldable device line. Its devices are to rave for thanks to its sleek design and high-end features. While the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold series are a bit costly they are definitely worth the hype.
Samsung’s ever-evolving foldable gives us an insight into a mobile future that isn’t just a sea of the same boring old form factor. Although most people are still reluctant to get the device, it is, however, the perfect phone to buy. We will give a detailed review to help you decide why this is the phone you need.
Intuitive Sleek Design
The Z Fold 3 appears to be two phones bonded together when closed. At first, it seems to be extremely thick, yet to our astonishment, it is only 0.8mm thin. The fact that it tapers less gives it a sleeker feel in the hand. The Fold 3 only differs by 1.6mm from its predecessor, which isn’t much, but when you consider the 0.8mm slimmer body, it’s a significant change. When compared to the previous-generation phone, it is considerably more comfortable to use folded. None of this, though, takes away from the phone’s sheer weight. The Z Fold 3 is not a light device, weighing in at 271 grams. Hence, if you are looking for a lightweight device to carry around easily then this might not be for you.
When you unfold the phone, you’ll find a large, gorgeous 7.6-inch OLED display with significantly better durability than last year’s phone. Both panels are made with Samsung’s latest OLED technology, which gives them excellent brightness ranges. The Fold 3 will look as good as or better than any other phone, whether you’re using it in a dark environment or direct sunshine. When it’s open, it also feels more like a tablet.
Multiple layers remain on the foldable OLED, including a semi-replaceable screen protector. The usage of PET plastic has significantly strengthened the top layer. Because of the increased strength, you can use it with Samsung’s new S Pen stylus. Samsung figured out how to seal all of the internal components, so even if water gets into the hinge assembly, it won’t do any damage. On the other hand, the jury is still out on the under-display camera.
Overall Performance & Battery
Samsung’s One UI 3.1.1 interface runs on top of Android 11 on the Galaxy Fold 3. While the hardware on the Z Fold 3 is amazing and a significant upgrade over the Fold 2, it’s the software that makes it feel like the future.
The application “cards” have been rounded and now fit into a gray background, giving the windowing system a new look. In the control bar, there’s also a new rotate button that enables you to spin the apps clockwise to control which one is in which spot. The old split button could only be used to switch between horizontal and vertical views. You may also rearrange apps and adjust the size of the dividers by dragging them around. Samsung, on the other hand, hasn’t improved the way you save app combinations.
Until Good Lock was introduced to Samsung’s foldable multitasking last year, it felt a little unfinished. Some of those experimental choices have since been transferred to the Fold 3’s new Labs area. It’s quite handy to be able to enable multi-window functionality and unique aspect ratios for all apps, but that’s not all. In Labs, Samsung has included several whole new features, such as the option to pin the Edge panel to act as a Windows taskbar.
The Z Fold 3 is as quick as any Android gadget you can buy, thanks to its Snapdragon 888 processor. It rarely stutters, even while running many apps in tandem. The battery life suffers as a result of the strong SoC. Samsung was only able to pack in 4,400mAh of battery capacity due to the folding design, which is 600mAh less than the Galaxy S21 Ultra and 100 less than the Fold from last year. The battery life is just about adequate.
The subpar battery life could be forgiven if the device had fast charging but alas that is not the case. To top it off the device does not come with a charger. Nevertheless, the device is nearly flawless. It carries out complex tasks such as phone clone without any trouble.
Advanced Camera
The camera configuration on the Galaxy Z Fold3 is nearly identical to that of last year’s phone. There are three sensors, each with a resolution of 12MP. The hardware is high-quality, with wide apertures, large pixels, and OIS on the main and 2x telephoto lenses, despite the modest resolution. There’s also a 123-degree FOV ultra-wide sensor. On this phone, there are two selfie cameras: a 10MP on the cover screen and a 4MP under the display.
While the cameras are nothing that special they still manage to take decent photos. The images have the trademark Samsung saturation vibe.
Is it for you?
Samsung has now released three generations of foldable, each of which has improved at a rapid pace. The Fold 3 is on the verge of becoming a mainstream tablet, thanks to its more durable build and better software features.
You should definitely get the device if you want the most premium foldable device there is and you don’t mind charging it a bit often. However, if you do not prefer spending $1000 and more on a phone and do not plan on using the Z fold’s innovative features then it is not the one for you.
