Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 : R

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 rumor roundup: Here's everything we know about the next round of foldable flagship phones

Foldables have seen a steady rise in popularity over the past few years, and a good chunk of that credit goes to Samsung. Samsung entered the foldable space with the original Galaxy Fold, which had some flaws. The company took the criticism on the chin, went back to the drawing board, and came back with a fixed product. A few months later, Samsung dipped further into the foldable space with the Galaxy Z Flip, experimenting with a different form factor.

Reserve your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

On the flagship line, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 arrived some time later, marking the strongest attempt at large-scale folding. We're now in 2021, and that means it's time for the next foldable. Here's what we know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung's next foldable flagship.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: release date

the

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

, the predecessor, was launched on August 5, 2020. Using that as a benchmark, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 was predicted to launch in August as well. A recent leak from

@evleaks

on Twitter suggests that Samsung will hold an event

Unpacked

on August 11, 2021 to unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 3 as well as the Galaxy Flip 3 and Galaxy Watch 4. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are also expected to be announced at the same event.

Now Samsung has

officially confirmed

that it will launch the Galaxy Z Fold 3 as well as the Z Flip 3 on August 11. You can reserve the device if you are planning to buy one and get great deals including extra trade-in value.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: variants and prices

The first two foldables in this range were pretty simple: one phone for the whole world. These phones weren't aimed at the general public, so the range of unique products was more than enough to help Samsung test the waters on this fledgling technology.

For 2021's Foldable Space, we might see that shift up a bit. There will be a Galaxy Z Fold 3, followed by a foldable clamshell, i.e. the Galaxy Z Flip 3 (skipping the "2" nomenclature to standardize the range). There were initially rumors of a supposedly "lite" version of the phone that was planned to make foldables more accessible to more people, but it appears that plan has now been scrapped.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 cost $1,999 at launch, and we can expect the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to hover around that price as well. However, a recent leak on a Korean blog,

Naver

, suggested that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 would be cheaper than its predecessors and could start anywhere between KRW 1.9 million and 1.99 million which translates to around $1,670 to $1,750. Launching it at a lower price would mean the Galaxy Z Fold 3 would be more accessible to a wider demographic. This is probably also the reason for abandoning plans for the "lite" version (for now).

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: Design

As the brand would amply show, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be a foldable smartphone, so no guessing. Beyond that, we don't expect Samsung to make any significant changes to the foldable form factor of this range. This means that the successor to this range should have the general form factor that Samsung adopted for the Z Fold series: a book-style phone with an exterior screen, which folds out to reveal a larger screen inside.

Why would Samsung stick with this book-like form factor? Simple, because it works and it works well. Other OEMs have experimented with different approaches, and as Ben says, many have come to the conclusion that

Samsung was right all along when it came to foldables

. Other form factors such as outside folds and tri-folds have their own limitations, and while this book-style form factor has some limitations, they are reasonable enough to be ignored.

until the rollables mature

.

Our best look at the device comes from famed leaker Evan 'evleaks' Blass, who showed off what appears to be

almost final marketing images

p>

of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. For the Galaxy Z Fold 3, we have a good overview of the device, its rear camera modules and the S Pen Fold edition.< /p>

More recently, Evan posted a GIF that shows the Z Fold 3 in full from all angles. You can see the phone in the folded and unfolded positions from the GIF. As you can see, the edges look slightly more rounded on the Z Fold 3 compared to the Z Fold 2.

Coming to some specifics, leaks suggest the

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be physically smaller than the Galaxy Z Fold 2

by a small margin. The main screen will now measure 7.6 inches diagonally, while the cover screen could measure 6.2 inches. The new foldable premier is also expected to be slightly wider, making it different from the tall, slim stance previous generations had when closed. If that ends, it should be less difficult to hold and use when closed now.

The smaller footprint of the device will also result in a smaller battery, dropping from 4,500mAh to 4,380mAh, and the weight of the device might also fall short.

There's good news for all of you who use your phones in and around the pool or if you frequently spill your drinks on your phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have IPX8 certification for water resistance. This is great news because it's not an easy task to make a phone with moving parts water resistant, but it looks like Samsung has done it.

Internals: SoC, RAM & Storage

Samsung has offered high-end SoCs on its foldables so far, and there's no indication that will change with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. As such, it would be fair to expect something like the Qualcomm

Snapdragon 888

where the

Exynos 2100

(hope not) on the device, coupled with generous amounts of RAM and storage. However, there's unlikely to be expandable storage, but we're hoping to see larger storage variants like a 1TB option.

FCC reports suggest

we would see support for Ultra Wide Band (UWB), frequencies below 6GHz and mmWave 5G, Wireless PowerShare and Wi-Fi 6E. p>

Camera: Will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 have an under-screen camera?

The most surprising leak we've heard about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3's camera setup is that Samsung might be exploring a

under-display camera (UDC) on the foldable

. The leak mentions that Samsung will use a special screen from Samsung Display and the image sensor will come from Samsung Electronics' System LSI division. The company is also reportedly working on an image correction algorithm to improve the output of the under-screen camera setup.

Flex mode with the camera app on the Galaxy Z Fold 2

If this indeed turns out to be true, it will be the first Samsung smartphone to feature an under-display camera (but not the first Samsung device —

it's a laptop

). From what we've seen in solutions so far, UDC as a technology is still a few generations away from becoming mainstream. Results from devices such as the

ZTE Axon 20 5G

indicate that there is a lot of work to be done before we can reach the stage where we are now with conventional cameras.

Samsung is also unlikely to offer a half-baked solution in its high-end foldable lineup, especially with the

The Galaxy Note series is now over

. So either Samsung will abandon the Galaxy Z Fold 3 project if it compromises too much with the display or camera, or they'd be convinced that the results are worthy of a flagship around $2,000. .

Speaking of cameras, the latest render shows the rear camera setup, and from what we're seeing, it doesn't look like Samsung has added the Galaxy S21 Ultra's camera hardware to the Z Fold 3. We expected to Samsung bringing the lens periscope zoom from the S21 Ultra to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but it looks like we'll have to wait another year for that to happen. We don't know if this is due to a technical limitation since Huawei did it on the Mate X2. It's probably a move to lower the price of the phone and make it more accessible to consumers, and we're happy about it.

If you're wondering about the camera specs, the main shooter is going to be a 12MP sensor accompanied by a 12MP ultra-wide and a 12MP telephoto as well. The cover display on the outside will have a 10MP selfie shooter while the larger display when unfolded will have a 4MP camera. The lower resolution probably has something to do with it being an under-display camera.

S-Pen

There are some rumors about S Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. With the Galaxy S21 Ultra finally ending Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab exclusivity for the S Pen, it becomes clear that the next foldable has to also support the S Pen. After all, a larger-screen device is a great medium for using S Pen-enabled creative apps.

For S Pen support to materialize, Samsung would have to make some changes to the display to support pen input without damaging the flexible display inside. The company may eventually make the ultra-thin glass thicker on this device, along with other changes. This shouldn't have a material impact on the user experience, so we're curious to see what changes are made.

Evidence was found on the

Galaxy Z Fold 3 coming with S Pen support

. A recent leak shows some official cases

Samsung with a case for the S Pen

with rumors suggesting there will be support for two S Pen variants - The Pro Edition and a Fold Edition.

Software: One user interface based on Android 11

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 launch timeline places it in a position where it is unlikely to ship with the latest version of Android, i.e.

Android12

. So, Samsung is going to stick with Android 11 as its base, which isn't exactly a bad thing. The company has

promised 3 generations of Android OS updates

and

4 years of security updates

, so your bases are covered for a long time. Samsung has also been very good at updating the OneUI version of its recent flagships, so when a new update arrives, you'll be in line for it.

It's possible we'll see a new UI version with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 itself. A UI 3.5, or whatever it's called, could potentially come with changes related to the S Pen stylus and other changes synergizing the two screens. Apart from the continuity elements and how the software can take advantage of two different display sizes on the device, there is a slim chance that other game-changing features will be introduced with this one.

XDA's wishlist for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

With all the leaks and rumors captured above, we would also like to present our wishlist for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Here are the features and changes we would like to see on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.

A Flatter Fold & Less Weight

The point of a foldable is that it gives the user a bigger screen experience in a pocket-sized package. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 mostly delivers, but it's still slightly thick and heavy at 16.8mm and 282g. The weight of the phone also strains the wrist after prolonged one-handed use.

We'd also like to see the Fold 3 fold into a flatter design like Huawei's Mate X2. This would not only improve the appearance of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but would further reduce the overall thickness of the device by a few millimeters.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 (left) has a noticeable gap when folded; the Mate X2 does not.

True flagship camera system on the Galaxy Z Fold 3

Not all of Samsung's foldable phones used Samsung's best possible camera systems at the time of release. The Galaxy Z Fold 2, for example, lacks the 108MP sensor and Periscope zoom lens that have been a main feature of the last three Galaxy slab flagships.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2's trio of 12MP sensors are pedestrian compared to the camera arrays found on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra or S21 Ultra

When Ben reviewed the Galaxy Z Fold 2, he forgave the device for using a “less important” camera system because he thought it was physically impossible to fit it with a periscope lens (which is more thick and takes up more space than traditional camera sensors) in a foldable device. But then Huawei threw that assumption out the window by doing just that with the Mate X2.

The Huawei Mate X2 features Periscope 10x optical zoom.

Now there are no more excuses for Samsung: please insert a Periscope zoom lens into the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Widen the exterior "Cover Display"

A major improvement Samsung made with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 over the original Fold was it dramatically increased the display area of ​​the outer screen, which Samsung calls the "cover screen." However, most of that growth has happened vertically, as Samsung really got rid of the original Fold's huge forehead and chin bezels and didn't increase the width of the phone much.

This left the Galaxy Z Fold 2's cover screen with an awkward 25:9 aspect ratio, which is really tall and cramped. The phone is still usable for most tasks, but it feels cramped, especially when typing on the keyboard. Some apps also don't display properly in such a tight fit.

We'd like to see the Galaxy Z Fold 3 widen the exterior display closer to a more conventional aspect ratio. This has already been accomplished by the Huawei Mate X2, which has a 21:9 outer display that makes the phone feel more like a conventional slab phone when folded.

Get rid of the crease

< p> The stock Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 2 screens have a rather steep and hard vertical crease in the middle of the screen which, although not too noticeable to the eye when looking at the "right" angle, is always perceptible to the touch. The groove is so deep in fact that it would disturb a stroke of the pen for artists who value precision. So if the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is going to support the S-Pen, as the leaks say, it needs to lower the fold.

The good news is that the technology is already here. Huawei's Mate X2, Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 and Motorola's Razr 5G

all have foldable screens that feature very few creases thanks to a folding mechanism that places the screen in a gap for a tear-like crease.

Mate X2 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 2 (right).

Samsung might consider this option to reduce the crease. Going this route, however, can prevent the hinge from staying open at any angle - a useful Galaxy Z Fold 2 trick. Perhaps the engineers can find a good compromise somewhere.

Easy aspect Gear switch for non-optimized applications

Whether inside the main 7.6-inch square display or the external 6.3-inch 25:9 display, both screens on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 have unconventional aspect ratios. This means that smartphone apps that aren't optimized specifically for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 have three options for display: display as a regular smartphone with letterbox; display in stretched format to fill the screen but open the possibility of distortion; or the full display via cropping, which means the edges of the app may not appear on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 screen.

Instagram in native 16:9 aspect ratio

Instagram crop to fill the screen

Sure, app makers can optimize their apps to fit perfectly into these folding screens - and Samsung's proprietary apps all do - but it's highly unrealistic to expect every app maker to applications do, especially when the foldable market is still a niche market. This is a problem that will be here to stay for the foreseeable future.

You must use Good Locks to select the aspect ratio

Fill screen crop Instagram stories

< p> This isn't too big of a deal on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 for most word-based apps. Chrome, when stretched, is slightly odd, but it doesn't break performance or the experience. But photo-heavy apps like Instagram are harder to manage. Distorting an image by stretching it obviously isn't ideal, so Instagram on the Galaxy Z Fold 2's large screen should work either in letterbox format or in a cropped format that cuts off the top and bottom of Instagram Stories. We can switch between the two options through the Samsung Good Lock app, but shouldn't Samsung integrate this feature natively into the phone's software instead of requiring an additional download?

Better yet, how about giving us the ability to quickly switch between all three view options (letterboxed, cropped, stretched) in real time? Maybe an on-screen pop-up button, a multi-finger gesture, or a shortcut toggle in the navigation panel? We see room for improvement here.

Increased durability

For some people, foldable phones are still synonymous with "fragile". So for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, we'd like to see increased durability. Asking for IP68 water and dust resistance is probably highly unlikely for a foldable device. But what about a lower IP rating, similar to those seen in headphones, like IPX3 or IPX4? There have been roving rumors about IP53 resistance, but we're waiting to hear something more believable about it.

If Samsung can't provide tangible 'proof' of durability like an IP rating, then maybe it can reassure buyers by extending the warranty period from one year to 18 months or even two years? Samsung already seems quite confident in the durability of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, as it offers a

100 day return period,

in order to assure customers that the foldables are not flimsy could last a long time. way to push this product category into mainstream acceptance.

What would you like to see on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3?

With the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 likely a few months away, chances are most of the hardware changes have already been set in stone, so our wishlist is purely hypothetical. If Samsung hasn't applied these changes yet, it's probably too late to see them in the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

But Samsung, after all, is the pioneer of the foldable category, so their engineers probably have a few tricks up their sleeves that nobody expects.

What are your expectations with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3? What big changes should Samsung make with its upcoming first foldable? At what price do you expect the phone? Should there be a Lite version of the Galaxy Z Fold 3? Let us know in the comments below.