- Overview
- Hands-on
- Review
- Specifications
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- News
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.
SamMobile exclusively learned that 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.
Update 2: A new leak showing the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 has revealed something interesting: The rumored under-display camera may not be a part of the Z Fold 3’s feature list. Thankfully, S Pen support has been confirmed to be real, thanks to FCC certification documents.
Update 3: Another leaked render of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 gives us our best look yet at the new device’s S Pen.
Update 4: Several new Galaxy Z Fold 3 renders leaked online to give us another look at the Galaxy Z Fold 3 from all angles, as seen below.
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 990 did last year, so there is a chance that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will switch to an in-house chipset solution.
Update: A new report revealed some specs that have already been rumored, such as a 12MP+12MP+12MP main, ultra-wide, and telephoto camera setup, a 10MP selfie camera on the cover display, and a 16MP under-display camera on the foldable screen, though it also suggested that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have the Snapdragon 888 under the hood instead of the newly announced Snapdragon 888+.
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
Time will tell if Samsung will launch the Galaxy Z Fold 3 at a lower price than its predecessors or if the upcoming model will retain the ~$2,000 price tag as before, but it’s probably the latter.
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.
Downloads and Resources
SamMobile readers can keep up to date with future Galaxy Z Fold 3 developments by following our newsfeed for the device. And as always, SamMobile offers readers a wide variety of Samsung resources, from firmware to APKs and wallpapers, all for free. Readers can take advantage of additional benefits by signing up to one of our optional premium plans. They come with expert support, faster firmware downloads, ad-free browsing, access to product giveaways and more.
