Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

 

Introduction

Samsung’s foldable device legacy continues as the company is seemingly planning to release the third Galaxy Z Fold in the series before the end of 2021. The so-called Galaxy Z Fold 3 has been the subject of various leaks and rumors throughout the year, most of which hint at a fair number of expected upgrades and additions.

Design

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is expected to have the same form factor as its predecessors. The formula worked well for Samsung and even the company’s rivals have switched to a similar book-like design for their foldable devices.

Nevertheless, Samsung might be able to elevate the Galaxy Z Fold 3 formula in several ways. The company is seemingly working on improving the phone’s resilience, and one rumor suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 might be the first in the series to boast splash proofing.

Exclusively  the Galaxy Z Fold 3 should hit the market in at least two color options — black and green — though additional color options could be offered after the phone’s debut.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is also rumored to gain S Pen support, however, the foldable device might not have a dedicated S Pen slot. Instead, it could be sold as an optional accessory similar to the Galaxy S21 Ultra S Pen.

Update: A massive leak has revealed more details about the Galaxy Z Fold 3. It’s going to feature support for the S Pen, making it the first foldable smartphone from Samsung to get the stylus.

Displays

There have been some conflicting reports regarding the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s displays, with some sources suggesting that the upcoming model will have smaller screens than the predecessor, while other rumors indicating that the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s displays won’t get any smaller or larger.

There’s no concrete information regarding the use of high refresh rate panels but the next evolutionary step for the Galaxy Z Fold series would be the inclusion of a high refresh rate cover display. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a 120Hz foldable screen but it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate for the exterior display.

Another, seemingly overambitious patent application suggested that the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 could have a third display embedded in the hinge — as seen above — but this is highly unlikely to happen.

Update: It has also been revealed in a leak that the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s foldable display is going to have an Under Display Camera.

Specifications

The majority of Galaxy Z Fold 3-related rumors so far have focused largely on the foldable’s display and design, so there’s not a lot of information to go by regarding the internal specifications.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 battery is rumored to have the same 4,380mAh capacity as before, and evidently, the foldable will rely on a dual-battery system with each half of the device accommodating one battery.

The chipset remains unknown but whichever SoC the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have, it’ll probably be made by Qualcomm, seeing how none of the foldable models in the series have employed an Exynos SoC so far. Then again, Samsung’s new 2100 Exynos SoC is performing better than the Exynos 999 did last year, so there is a chance that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will switch to an in-house chipset solution.

Cameras

This is another area that’s lacking in detailed information. Some early rumors last year were claiming that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 could become the company’s first device to feature an under-display camera, but the technology might not yet be ready for the consumer market.

A WIPO application also emerged last year to suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 could feature a pop-up camera, but in more recent news, it looks like Samsung may have abandoned this concept entirely. After all, the Galaxy A82 lacks a motorized camera, and it’s supposed to be a Galaxy A80 sequel.

 

As for the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s main camera system, not many details are known but Samsung will hopefully do away with the aging 2x telephoto camera and fit the upcoming foldable with newer sensors.

Software

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is expected to run Android 11 and a new version of One UI at launch. The latest version available as of this writing is One UI 3.1, however, the upcoming foldable is likely to be unveiled running One UI 3.5.

Details are unknown but perhaps Samsung will provide additional tools for mobile productivity and multitasking through One UI 3.5

Price and Availability

 “Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are getting a big price cut!”. Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip in February 2020. The handset was priced at $1,380 at launch. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 arrived in September 2020 for $1,999. The upcoming devices were expected to be in the same price range. 

    What we’re hearing now gives Samsung fans much to be excited about. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 will be up to 20% cheaper than their predecessors. So you’re looking at an almost $400 price cut on the top-of-the-line foldable. That’s a substantial reduction on a device that’s most certainly going to be better than the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

 
As for availability, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 firmware development is already underway and, according to reports from South Korean media outlets, the foldable could hit the shelves as early as July 2021. Production for the foldable reportedly kicked off in late May.