Samsung's flagship foldable Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is slated to hit stores next week in India. It comes with a boatload of improvements not just in terms of internal hardware but also durability aspects as well.
I have used the device for a little over a week and here are my thoughts on the Galaxy Z Fold3.
Design, build quality, and display
The new Samsung premium phone is thinner and lighter in terms of weight compared to its predecessor. Also, you definitely see the camera bump has been reduced to an extent as well. Overall, the design is refined and better.
As for as the in-folding aspect of the Galaxy Z Fold series is concerned, it is the best practical design for a phone with a bendable screen. It protects the expensive display at all times. Whereas the devices with outward folding mechanisms, there is always a risk of damage even in an event of a short-range fall.
In the new Galaxy Z Fold3, Samsung has ensured the hinge is sturdier and both the inner and cover display are capable of resisting daily wear-and-tear threats such as scratches than ever before. The company has incorporated an advanced ultra-thin glass cover on the display, which is said to be 80 per cent more durable than the predecessor.
The device features an aerospace-grade armour aluminium case around the phone. Also, the Galaxy Z Fold3 comes with IP67 rating, a first for any foldable phone in the market. This means users need not worry about water spillage on the phone and also accidental drops in the swimming pool.
However, the company is not offering any cover case as such for the Galaxy Z Fold3.
On the bright side, Samsung is offering a Care Plus package while buying the phone. The customers have to pay Rs 4,999 one-time payment, which is a cost-effective plan to get the expensive display replaced in the event of physical damage.
The side-mounted fingerprint sensor works smoothly without any fuss. It recognizes the finger impressions accurately and quickly unlocks the screen.
On the front, it sports a 6.2-inch HD+ (2268 x 832p) Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover Display. It has a pixel density of 387ppi (pixels per inch) and offers a peak brightness of 1500 nits. It has a tiny camera, which doesn't affect the visual appeal.
Inside, when unfurled, it has a massive 7.6-inch QXGA+ (2208 x 1768p) Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 374ppi, and offers a peak brightness of 1200 nits.
Both the displays support a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus shield.
The cover display is a bit narrow compared to the normal handset, but it is good enough to do all kinds of day-to-day activities such as messaging, browsing web one-handed, take photos, and other stuff with ease.
I didn't find any good reason to open the wide-screen to perform the aforementioned tasks. I usually used the widescreen only to binge on videos and web browsing.
An interesting thing you will find here is the under-screen camera for selfies. The thin film on the camera is deeply integrated with hardware to match the screen around it.
Like the crease in the middle, the camera point can only be identified when looked at from certain angles and light backgrounds, but most people, for the first time, when they open the phone fail to recognize the presence of a camera at the top.
After a few days of usage, you will forget it exists unless you really look for it.
Performance
It houses Qualcomm's 5nm class Snapdragon 888 octa-core processor backed by 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage and Android 11-based One UI 3.0 OS.
The device works buttery smooth like any of the premium Galaxy S series phones. It is a versatile device and with such a massive big screen and S Pen stylus, users can be more productive than any other phone in the market. The only rival is its kin--Galaxy Note20 series.
Now, that Galaxy Z Fold3 supports the S Pen stylus, people can make good use of it to take notes, and make PPTs.
Also, they can let their creativity run wild for doodling on the screen.
It should be noted that Samsung has incorporated two advanced digitizers-- one each on the right and left display panels.
They are deeply integrated with software to ensure there is continuity across the wide display while writing notes or creating pictures across two panels; though the crease in the middle gets noticed, there's won't an issue of any break.
Already apps such as Canva, Amazon, and others have native support the foldable phones.
For others, Samsung has a special 'Labs' section in the Settings that allows users to customise aspect ratios for each app, so that the latter can make good use of the widescreen. Also, there are more value-added options including Flex mode, split-screen, and additionally, users can pin their favourite apps on the sides for easy shortcuts.
The Galaxy Z Fold3 boasts a dual battery with a 4,400mAh capacity. It easily lasts a full day under normal usage. The company is offering just the Type-C USB cable with the retail box.
It supports 25W wired and 10W wireless (WPC and PMA) charging speed and 4.5W reverse wireless charging speed.
Photography
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 comes with five cameras in total- one on cover display, one inside, as mentioned previously, an under-display camera, and a primary triple-camera on the back.
The main module houses-- 12MP(f/1.8, PDAF, OIS) wide-angle sensor + 12MP Telephoto (f/2.4) lens (PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom, up to 10x digital zoom) + 12MP (f/2.2) 120-degree ultra-wide sensor with Super clear glass with Corning Gorilla Glass with DX and backed by an LED flash.
It features a 10MP (f/2.2) front-facing camera on the cover screen and a 4MP (f/1.8) Under display camera.
The main camera of the Galaxy Z Fold3 is kind of a downgrade compared to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but still it takes pretty decent photos in all lighting conditions.
As you can see sample photos, it has succeeded in capturing a good amount of details. The night mode too, the pictures look really nice. I have to point that there is a little amount of noise, but when viewed on the big computer screen. They don't show that much on a compact screen of a phone.
As far as the front cameras are concerned, the selfie quality when taken with the in-display snapper is a bit underwhelming. This is best used for making video calls.
But, the one on the cover display takes fantastic pictures and I recommend Galaxy Z Fold3 owners to use this more often for selfies.
Final thoughts
Though the phone is still out-of-bound for many customers' budgets, I believe technology deserves to command such a price tag.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5Z is an innovative premium hybrid phone, which stands in its own league with no rivals to match its capability.
This phone looks nearly complete and I don't think there is any need for major improvements in terms of design. Now that the device has water-resistant certification, I look forward to seeing Samsung come up with the new tech to make the next version dust-proof.
Samsung has to be appreciated for taking just three years to make the foldable phone from a concept phone into a mainstream device.
Samsung engineers have made the device more durable than ever before and the software has been deeply integrated with hardware to enable even the third-party apps to make full use of the big foldable display.
With Android 12 (coming soon) bringing more native features for foldable phones, the user experience on the Galaxy Z Fold3 will only get better. Furthermore, it is guaranteed to get three years of major Android OS and an additional year of security software support.
Also, whenever the 5G infrastructure gets ready (most likely in 18 months) in India, users will be able to enjoy high-speed internet. So, Indian consumers can consider the Galaxy Z Fold3 as a long-term investment.
The Galaxy Z Fold3 comes in two storage options-- 256GB and 512GB-- for Rs 1,49,999 and Rs 1,57,999, respectively.
Samsung's new phone will be available for pre-booking on Samsung.com and across leading retail stores starting August 24 till September 9 and they will be up for sale on stores from September 10.
As part of the launch offer, consumers who pre-book Galaxy Fold3 5G will be eligible for either an upgrade voucher of up to Rs 7,000 or HDFC Bank cashback of up to Rs 7,000 using credit and debit cards.
Furthermore, customers will be eligible for free one-year Samsung Care+ Accidental & Liquid Damage Protection worth Rs 7,999 on pre-booking Galaxy Z Fold3 5G.
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