Samsung held its Galaxy Unpacked 2021 today, unveiling two new foldable phones in the form of Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, along with new range of accessories like Galaxy Buds 2 TWS earbuds and Galaxy Watch 4 range of smartwatches.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 will be available for pre-order beginning 11th August 2021. Devices will go on-sale 27th August 2021
“With Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, Samsung is once again redefining the possibilities with foldable smartphones that empower users with the flexibility and versatility needed for today’s fast-paced world,” said Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics.
“As a pioneer and industry leader in the foldable category, we’re proud to build on our legacy of innovation with the Z Fold3 and Z Flip3. These devices equip consumers with technologies that unlock new ways to maximize and enjoy every moment with an ecosystem built on openness and innovation.”
Galaxy Z Flip3
The smaller of the two new folding phones, the Flip3 is a nod to the flip-open, clamshell mobile phones that were first popular in the late 1990s.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is the cheaper foldable phone of the two. It sports a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic 2X AMOLED Infinity Flex display with a 22:9 aspect ratio, HDR10+, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 2640X1080 pixels resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and 425 PPI (pixels per inch).
There’s a 1.9-inch secondary AMOLED screen on the back with 260X 512 pixels resolution and 302 PPI. In comparison, the original Galaxy Z Flip only had a 1.1-inch display on the rear.
The Samsung Galaxy Flip3 measures 72.2 X 86.4 X 17.1-15.9mm (when folded), 72.2 X 166.0 X 6.9mm (when unfolded) and weighs just 183 grams.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is IPX8 rated for water resistance and it is built on Armor Aluminium, which is claimed to be Samsung’s strongest aluminium frame yet.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 has dual cameras on the back, consisting of a 12MP wide-angle lens with dual pixel AF, OIS, f.18 aperture, 1.4um pixel size, and 78-degree FoV and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, and 123-degree FoV.
There is a 10MP snapper on the front with an f/2.4 aperture, 1.22um pixel size and 80-degree FoV for selfies and video chats.
The Galaxy Z Flip3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G SoC paired with Adreno 660 GPU, 8GB RAM and either 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. Sensors onboard include a capacitive fingerprint sensor on the side for security, accelerometer, barometer, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, and Hall sensor.
Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, 1 nano-SIM, 1 eSIM, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 (aptX), USB Type-C, and ANT+. The phone runs on Android 11-based OneUI custom skin and packs a 3,300mAh battery with 15W fast-charging support.
The Galaxy Z Flip3 starts at £949 – down from the £1,229 of the last Flip – and will go on sale on August 27.
- Display: 6.7-inch Full HD+ and a 1.9-inch cover display (120Hz refresh rate)
- Resolution: 1080 x 2640 and 260 x 512 pixels
- Type: Dynamic AMOLED display
- Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
- Front Camera: 10MP
- Rear Camera (dual): 12MP primary + 12MP ultrawide
- Chip: 5nm Snapdragon 888
- Memory: 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB
- Battery: 3,300mAh battery with 15W fast-charging support
- Others: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, support face unlock, stereo speakers, IPX8 certification for water resistance
- OS: Android 11-based One UI 3
- Weight: 183 grams
- Colours: Phantom Black, Cream, and Lavender
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 Pricing
- 128GB, £949
- 256GB, £999
Galaxy Z Fold3
Samsung has stuck with the same screen sizes as previous Folds for the new Fold3, but there are a number of key updates around those displays designed to draw in users.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 has a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X outer display with a 24.5:9 aspect ratio, 2,268 X 832 pixels resolution, 387 pixels per inch, and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
The cover display size remains unchanged from the predecessor. The main screen is a 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display with a 22.5:18 aspect ratio, 2,208 X 1,768 pixels resolution, 374 pixels per inch, and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
The new Fold3 is also lighter than the previous models, despite also housing the stronger aluminium and Gorilla Glass as on the Flip3, as well as the additional protective film on its main screen.
Powering the newest Galaxy foldable phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platform paired with Adreno 660 GPU, 12GB RAM, 256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 runs on Android 11-based OneUI custom skin and a 4,400mAh battery with 25W wireless charging support and reverse wireless charging.
Moving to optics, the Samsung foldable phone has triple sensors on the back, consisting of a 12MP wide-angle lens with dual pixel AF, OIS, f.18 aperture, 1.8um pixel size, and 83-degree FoV, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, and 123-degree FoV and a 12MP telephoto lens with PDAF, f/2.4 aperture, dual OIS, 1.0um pixel size, 45-degree FoV, 2x optical zoom, 10x digital zoom, and HDR10+ recording.
The rear camera module features super clear glass with Corning Gorilla Glass DX layer.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold3 has a 10MP snapper with 80-degree FoV and f/2.2 aperture on the cover display. It has a 4MP under-display camera with f/1.8 aperture, 2um pixel size, and 80-degree FoV. The phone measures 67.1 X 158.2 X 16.0mm (when folded), 128.1 X 158.2 X 6.4mm (when unfolded), and weighs 271 grams.
Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, 1 nano-SIM, 1 eSIM, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 (aptX), USB Type-C, and ANT+. Sensors onboard include a capacitive fingerprint sensor on the side for security, accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope sensor, geomagnetic sensor, proximity sensor, and light sensor.
Arguably the most interesting update to the Fold is that it now supports Samsung’s S Pen stylus for the first time.
The stylus, which is traditionally found with the Galaxy Note “phablet” range, can be used to navigate the Fold3 as well as for sketching, drawing and note-taking on the new foldable.
Unlike the Note, however, the Fold3 does not have internal storage space for the S Pen, but Samsung has created a range of cases to hold the stylus as one alternative for users.
- Display: 7.6-inch foldable display and a 6.2-inch AMOLED display (a 120Hz refresh rate)
- Resolution: 2208 x 1768 pixels and 2260 x 832 pixels
- Type: Infinity Flex display
- Protection: Gorilla Glass Victus
- Front Camera: 10MP with an aperture of f/2.2
- Under-display Camera: 4MP with an aperture of f/1.8
- Rear Camera (triple): 12MP wide camera + 12MP ultrawide + 12MP telephoto
- Chip: 5nm Snapdragon 888
- Memory: up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage
- Battery: 4400mAh battery with 25W fast-charging support
- Others: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, etc.
- OS: Android 11-based One UI 3
- Weight: 271 grams
- Colours: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Green
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Pricing
- 256GB, £1,599
- 512GB, £1,699
