What a glorious day for Samsung fans – the Unpacked event took place today, and we saw the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 get announced on stage. These two smartphones come with IPX8 rating, meaning they are the first-water resistant foldables.
Both the Z Flip3 and the Z Fold3 are a refined version of their predecessors, with improvements mostly in durability, as well as some timely updates with a Snapdragon 888 chipset and display department.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
The Galaxy Z Fold3 carries over a lot of specs that were already amazing in its predecessor, the Z Fold2. The internal screen remains 6.2” Super AMOLED with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, but now the selfie camera has made its way under the display, making the Z Fold3 the first Samsung device on the market with a UD camera.
The sensor is just 4 MP f/1.8, but it isn’t going to be frequently used, since there’s another selfie shooter in a punch hole on the cover screen, which remains 10 MP f/2.2. The cover screen is a tall Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel which supports 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate – that means in theory it can go as low as 1 Hz in certain scenarios.
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The new Z Fold has the very same 12 MP main + 12 MP ultra-wide-angle + 12 MP telephoto combo as in the old Z Fold, but now the LED flash made its way below for a refined look.
The main camera has Dual Pixel AF and OIS, while the telephoto shooter that offers 2x optical zoom comes with PDAF and OIS as well. The whole back panel is now covered in a Gorilla Glass Victus.
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The build of the Z Fold3 is clearly Samsung’s proudest accomplishment. The company also brought an Armor Aluminum frame, which should be more durable than any other aluminum frame the company has ever introduced in a phone. It also managed to cut a millimetre here and there, making the Z Fold3 a slightly more compact solution.
The device is 271 grams which is still a lot in the world of smartphones, but at least lost some weight in the process. Sadly, Samsung also shaved the battery capacity – it is now 4,400 mAh but keeps its 25W fast charging, 11W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging capabilities.
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One of the most desired features by consumers was a stylus that goes with the foldable device, and Samsung listened. It introduced a new S Pen Pro that can work with a number of Samsung devices, but users are likely to prefer the S Pen Fold – an exclusive accessory, crafted precisely for the needs of the Z Fold3. It is slightly smaller than the S Pen Pro – shorter, thinner, with a smaller tip, but still brings some features like play/pause a video by clicking a button.
People who bought previous Fold devices did it for the multitasking, so Samsung improved that as well. The UI has been improved with better split screen, the Settings menu is revamped, and there’s now a Mini Menu for quick app switch without going back and forth with buttons or gestures.
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Samsung worked with Google and Microsoft to adapt apps to the foldable screen, and apps by Spotify, Netflix, TikTok, LinkedIn, WPS and others will also work flawlessly. Users now have the choice to adapt app size on the screen through the Labs menu, as well as where exactly on the screen the app opens.
The Galaxy Z Fold3 is sold in three different Phantom colors – Black, Green, and Silver. It has 12 GB RAM and 256/512 GB storage, and the starting price is in Europe is €1,799 or £1,599. Availability details should be revealed soon.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
The Galaxy Z Flip3 clamshell comes with an improved cover screen – it is 1.9” Super AMOLED with a 260×512 resolution and 302 ppi. The big foldable panel on the inside has also slightly improved – it remains a 6.7” Dynamic AMOLED with Full HD+ resolution, but now supports a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate.
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The dual cameras on the back are now lined up vertically, with the LED flash below them in the differently colored part of the panel. The dual shooter includes a 12 MP f/1.8 main camera with Dual Pixel AF and OIS, as well a 12 MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle cam. The selfie camera is visible and behind a punch hole – 10 MP f/2.4
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The Z Flip3 also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on the back and Armor Aluminum frame, just like its Fold sibling. Samsung kept the footprint relatively the same, with slight changes in all dimensions which wouldn’t matter in real-life scenarios – it is 1.3 mm shorter, 1.4 mm narrower and 0.3 mm thinner than its predecessor.
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The Galaxy Z Flip3 is a fashion accessory as much as it is a smartphone. That’s why Samsung will offer it in no less than seven colors – Cream, Green, Lavender, Phantom Black, Gray, White, and Pink, and the latter three will be exclusive to Samsung.com.
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The starting price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is €1,049 or £949 in Europe, but that’s for the 8/128 GB memory option. There’s also a variant with 256 GB storage, but availability or cost is yet to be announced.
