Galaxy Z Fold 3 is on the way - how it compares to Z Fold 2
Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be the most anticipated announcement at the Galaxy Unpacked on August 11, 2021. The foldable phone is touted as the most practical iteration of a foldable smartphone and is expected to be a significant improvement over its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 released last year in September.
This hot piece of technology has been in the rumors for quite some time and that gives us enough reason to assume what improvements it will bring forth in comparison to the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Let's have a look at what Samsung has planned for the foldable arena this year.
Design and display
Galaxy Z Fold 3 recently went through the TENAA certification; the listing pens down the dimensions of the phone at 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4mm when completely unfolded. This makes the device thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 2, which measured 6.9mm in thickness. Some leaked images suggest that the air gap between the sides has been reduced for a thin profile and more aesthetic appearance. These enhancements will be good for one-handed use and for people with small hands.
It is rumored that the upcoming foldable phone will weigh lighter at 9.49 ounces compared to the 9.9 ounce Galaxy Z Fold 2. The folding phone will get a much durable frame and a large front display that unfolds to reveal the main internal display, some reliable leaksters claim.
This listing also ascertains that the external display of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 measures 6.2-inches and might get 120Hz refresh rate, as compared to 60Hz on the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The internal LTPO display measure 7.6-inches and supports 120Hz refresh rate – the same as that on the Z Fold 2. The only difference might be the Samsung S Pen digitizer layer suggested by the FCC listing and Evan Blass. That means we could see an S Pen-like accessory support for this year's foldable phone.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is expected to arrive with an under-display camera, which would be a less distracting aspect for content consumption. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 had a center-aligned hole-punch camera, which was a distraction and wouldn't look aesthetically appealing in 2021.
Cameras on the foldable
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 camera rumors have not been that loud as compared to the other features but still, there's enough to tell. It is believed that the new foldable will get a triple camera setup on the back with each one featuring a 12MP lens (same as on the Z Fold 2) with 4K video recording capability at 60fps. Certain leaks suggest the presence of phase detection autofocus (PDAF) on the ultra-wide camera. The telephoto lens might get the 3X zoom capability and dual-pixel autofocus as compared to the 2X on the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Another leakster suggests, Samsung has partnered with Olympus to bring a new set of sensors to the camera setup. How much substance this claim holds only time will tell, but it does sound a good deal. The exterior display is said to house a hole-punch 10MP selfie camera and a 16MP under-display camera. Evan Blass also recently revealed that there will be a 4MP selfie camera on the interior display, so it remains to be seen if it will be 12MP or 4MP.
Expected specs and performance
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a flagship device, and just like the previous version that has the top-of-the-line specs, this one will be no different. We expect the 5G foldable to feature either the Snapdragon 888 processor or the 888 Plus SoC with support for 12GB RAM and 256GB storage at least. The phone has been spotted with the Snapdragon 888 SoC in a Geekbench test and 12GB of RAM, which full-proofs the speculation.
The performance of the phone will be top-notch given the hardware it will be powered by, just like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 which has the last year's flagship Qualcomm processor onboard. According to leaksters the foldable phone will come with IPX8 waterproof rating as well. This will be another good feature for the foldable to have along with other solid specs.
Battery life and charging speed
According to a report, Samsung is going to shave off the battery capacity a shade in the Galaxy Z Fold 3. It is expected to have a 4,380mAh battery pack which will be split between a dual cell housing. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a 4,500mAh battery capacity and given the new foldable device will run on the Android 12 OS (eventually or even out of the box) the battery management will make things comparable for the two devices.
A 4,275mAh battery for a device has also been certified recently and this could in great likeliness be the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The battery capacity is likely to reduce so low. The device is going to get the same 25W charging brick, making it a fast-charging Samsung foldable apt for multimedia content consumption, gaming or long hours of productive work.
The battery performance will solely depend on personal usage, the refresh rate being used and the peak brightness at which the device operates over a period of time. It has to be kept in mind, the battery has to power the dual-screen setup and it will get near about the same usage time as the Galaxy Z Fold 2. So we are talking around 10-12 hours of average screen time at the best.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 Price
This is where the buck stops for the upcoming foldable phone and it won't disappoint. According to a report by SamMobile, the launch price for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be 20-percent lesser than the Galaxy Z Fold 2. So we are talking a cut of around $200 – bringing the price of the folding phone to around $1,599. The Galaxy Z Fold launched at a mind-numbing $1,999 only to be later reduced to $1,799 in the second iteration.
This rumor is also supported by a claim from a South Korea-based blog that estimates the phone to launch between $1,660 and $1,750. If this turns out to be true, the launch of Galaxy Z Fold 3 will trigger a big price drop for the outgoing Galaxy Z Fold 2, based on assumption.
Wrap up
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 could bring foldable devices to the mainstream with the above-mentioned price speculation. Refinements in design from the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will make this foldable phone better positioned to capture a wider market base rather than being a small niche.
This Samsung's upcoming device will have better camera sensors for sure and the internal storage could be beefed up to 512GB as per some rumors. The multiscreen capabilities are going to see a big refinement with the coming of Android 12, and Samsung is definitely going to give its flagship the full OS leverage. In totality, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 seems like a more refined foldable phone that's ready to tick the right boxes.