Loyal Samsung fans who keep track of all the mobile developments knew what to expect from Wednesday’s big Samsung Unpacked event. Instead of the Galaxy Note 21, we got two foldable phones this year, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Both of them appeared in numerous leaks long before today’s Unpacked event, and we’ve known everything about them for a while now. The leaks don’t make the Fold 3 and Flip 3 any less exciting. It’s quite the opposite. And Samsung just confirmed all the great rumors about the phones. The Fold 3 and Flip 3 are more durable than any previous foldable handset. They feature great hardware. And they’re going to be more affordable than the previous models. Here’s everything you need to know about the new phone, including Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 release date and price.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 design and build quality
The Fold 3 looks a lot like the original Fold and the second-gen model that launched last year. There’s a primary foldable screen on the inside that measures 7.6 inches and supports 120Hz. But there’s no camera hole punching through the foldable screen. The camera is hidden under the screen this time, which is awesome. On the outside, we have a smaller 6.2-inch external screen with a hole-punch selfie camera.
The Galaxy Fold 3 is supposed to be more durable than its predecessors. The phone has IPX8 water resistance, which means accidental spills won’t let water enter the handset. Samsung also designed an “Armor” aluminum frame that should increase hinge protection. The new aluminum structure should be 10% more durable than before.
Protecting the external display and the rear panel is Corning’s most durable Gorilla Glass Victus. The foldable display has a second-gen Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) cover that’s 80% more durable than last year. This is what makes possible S Pen support on the handset.
High-end Galaxy Z Fold 3 specs
The 7.6-inch Infinity Display features an under-display camera that hides the selfie cam almost perfectly. The display area covering the camera might be visible in certain apps, but that’s a compromise that’s easy to accept. Samsung is going for an all-screen experience and a great camera.
That selfie camera is a 4-megapixel shooter. There’s a secondary 10-megapixel selfie camera on the front display. On the back, we have a triple-lens camera featuring three 12-megapixel lenses: telephoto, wide-angle, and ultra-wide-angle.
Here’s the full specs list for the Galaxy Z Fold 3:
- 7.6-inch foldable OLED Infinity Flex display with 2208 x 1768 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate
- 6.2-inch secondary OLED Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with 2260 x 832 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate
- 64-bit 5nm Snapdragon 888 processor
- 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM
- 256GB or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage
- triple camera: 12-megapixel (main camera, f/1.8, 83°, 1.8 μm, OIS, Dual Pixel AF), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide-angle camera, f/2.2, 123°, 1.12 μm, FF), 12-megapixel (telephoto lens, f/2.4, 45°, 1.0 μm, OIS)
- primary selfie camera: 4-megapixel (under display, f/1.8, 80°, 2.0 μm)
- secondary selfie camera: 10-megapixel (cover, f/2.2, 80°, 1.22 μm)
- fingerprint sensor in the side button
- 2 nano-SIM slots and eSIM support
- 4G/5G
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Wi-Fi 6E
- USB Type C connectivity
- 4,400 mAh battery with 25W fast charging 10W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging
- size: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm (open), 158.2 x 67.1 x 16 mm (closed)
- weight: 271 grams
- Android 11 with One 3.1 on top
- colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Green, Phantom Silver
Galaxy Z Fold 3 release date and price
Samsung opened Galaxy Z Fold 3 registrations a few weeks ago before kicking off preorders. Those who registered will not have to complete the purchase if they don’t want to. But they’ll be able to score a few perks during preorders, including free Care+ coverage and up to $100 extra trade-in credit. Speaking of trade-ins, Samsung will let users swap not one but two used devices for a new Fold 3. It’s an expensive phone, so that will definitely help make it more accessible.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 price comes in at $1,799. That’s slightly cheaper than previous models but still more expensive than traditional high-end handsets. Preorders start today, August 11th, with the phone shipping to buyers beginning August 27th.
