Samsung Z Fold 3 Review

So the Z Fold 3 is basically a better built version

of the Fold 2.

And it's 1800 bucks now. So it's still an expensive specialty phone,

but with serious ambition. And that's what I wanna talk about in this review is the ambition of this phone, which I believe is the second best

folding phone out right now.

See, Samsung drop 2 Folding phones on us this month, the Fold 3 that you're seeing here, but also the Flip 3, the vertical clamshell,

and I fully believe the Flip 3 at this point is the best Folding phone option out there for most people.

The most reasonable to actually recommend today. But as great as it is,

the Flip 3 has less ambition than the Fold.

So like here, I already sort of explained this on the way from podcast.

So sorry if you've already heard this before, but also if you haven't been subscribed over there, you should do that.

But what I'm saying is the Flip 3 has one goal, which is to give you as close to a normal smartphone

as possible experience, and then just fold up and getting your pocket

be smaller than normal, done.

The Fold wants to be as close to a normal smartphone as possible,

but then also give you a huge sort of mini tablet sized screen

and all the experiences that are great about that.

That is a much bigger goal and ambition for this phone.

And so I actually think that because the phone's ambition

is so high, this phone, the Fold 3

is actually worse at some normal phone things, on its way to doing some things that literally no other phone can do. So the most obvious place this shows up is when you try to use this as a normal phone

without unFolding it.

Like this is what one of those boring normal phones usually it looks like.

This is what we're used to for typing and scrolling and watching videos, et cetera.

The cover screen on the Fold 3, it is better than ever. It's way better than the first Fold.

It is corner to corner now. It's 120 Hertz now, plenty bright,

and you can use it as a normal phone for quick stuff

when you don't really feel like opening the whole thing up, but it's pretty narrow.

It's a very tall aspect ratio that makes the top pretty difficult to reach.

Watching videos on it isn't great. Again, because it's so narrow.

And even though I've used the phone for over a week,

the keyboard on the cover screen is still a little cramped.

It's very easy to make a lot of typos trying to hit those tiny buttons.

So it's just not the shape of a normal phone.

And there's also the Z axis,

which doesn't bother me as much, but you'll notice it's also way thicker than a normal phone.

Plus there's a camera bump on the corner here, which makes it rock pretty hard without a case,

but it's better than the last version. The Fold 3 is 2 millimeters thinner

and trims a little bit of weight.

And I can actually see and feel that difference. But overall it is objective really an awkward size and shape

to use on a regular basis. It's also worse than normal phones in car mounts

because it's so narrow and heavy. It usually just falls right out of most car mounts.

And it's also an absolute unit in your pocket. Like obviously there's lots of other big phones,

but this one is such a unique object, in shape and size that, yeah,

it's just an awkwardly big, clunky thing

to have in your pocket. Now, Samsung is doing the Folding hardware better than ever.

That the hinge protrudes even less out the side, and it's just a little more firm and solid,

even in last year's hinge, it feels good. And believe it or not the whole phone,

including this hinge is IPX8 water resistant. Not because the hinge is watertight,

but because they've actually coated the components inside the hinge and then sealed each half of the phone off.

But as I've mentioned, IPX8 does not include dust resistance.

So it's got Ingress protection against liquids

and that's all great. You can splash it.

You can walk outside in the rain,

but do not take this anywhere near a beach or a woodworking shop or anything like that

because any solids or grit or dirt that gets in there,

that'll still kill a phone like this.

Now I don't know about you,

but I really do like

the overall design here of the Fold 3.

They're still doing the Satin

on almost everything for the Folds.

So Satin Black aluminum side rails

and Satin Black back with this new camera bump design.

And this is the same set of cameras

that were back here on the Fold 2 from last year,

which is to say not quite highest end flagship caliber,

but still a very good.

Like in daylight with tons of light,

these are great, very capable cameras,

but just not quite on the same level as the flagships

from Google and apple and even Samsung

with their own S 21 line when it comes to sharpness,

and especially edge sharpness and low-light performance

and video, et cetera.

So these are all 12 megapixels sensors

for the primary ultra wide and telephoto.

I'd rate these as like B plus cameras.

So that's really not bad at all.

But you know, what is,

you know it's really been the biggest sacrifice on Fold 3,

battery life.

As you can imagine,

going from a 60 to 120 Hertz cover display,

and also trimming the battery slightly.

When you got thinner,

it went from 4,500 to 4400 milliamp hours

and still powering a huge bright,

120 Hertz, 7.6 inch display.

You do lose a bit of battery in, it showed here.

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