Preview – Galaxy Unpacked 2021 – Hands-on with Samsung’s latest foldables

For the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, Samsung seems to be mainly focusing on a price reduction plus a nice series of refinements. For example, the hinge is said to be more robust and the frame is made of stronger ‘Armor Aluminium’, a material that should bend and scratch less quickly than the aluminum that the brand previously used. The Fold and Flip are the first foldables to be waterproof, just like most regular high-end smartphones, which is confirmed by an IPX8 rating. Although they should be able to survive a bath, a day at the beach is still not a good idea. The two new foldable are still not dustproof.

Something you can’t see on the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3, but you can feel, is the new top layer that’s on the folding screens. Samsung still uses an ultra-thin layer of glass, on which a plastic screen protector is applied. In previous generations, the top layer felt fairly rough, very different from the perfectly smooth glass of other devices. A new PET plastic film makes the screens of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 feel noticeably smoother, with a much smoother swipe. In addition, Samsung promises that the firmness of the screen will also improve considerably thanks to the new protective layer. That is welcome, because there are still plenty of reports on the internet about folding screens that suddenly break. There is, however, a clearly tangible and visible fold in the middle of both screens.

Galaxy Z Fold 3: Now with Pen and no camera hole

Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has just become a bit lighter and thinner, with the three cameras on the back also protruding slightly less far. It is noticeable in direct comparison, but Fold number 3 is still not a light device with its 271 grams.

The new folding screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has the same resolution and 120Hz refresh rate as the screen of its predecessor, but is almost 30 percent brighter, according to Samsung. You can now also draw on the screen, with the well-known S Pen, which was not possible with previous Galaxy Folds. After all, an active stylus requires a digitizer in the screen, which proved difficult to combine with a flexible display. Samsung eventually opted for a solution with two separate digitizers in each screen area.

There will be two different styluses for the Z Fold 3, the most expensive of which, the S Pen Pro, can also be used with other Galaxy devices. Opposite the tip there is a slide on that pen to switch. To prevent the pens from damaging the folding screen, they feature a built-in shock absorber and a more flexible, rounder tip. They are also somewhat thicker than the pin that came with the Note devices, which is more pleasant to hold. The stylus therefore does not fit into the device and it is not included as standard, as was the case with the Galaxy Note series.

With the first Galaxy Z Fold, a large bite was removed from the screen for the camera, and with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 there was a camera hole in the screen. The Z Fold 3 is the first Samsung phone with a camera behind the screen. For example, the large screen now extends to the edge on all sides. Yet you can still see the so-called hidden camera very clearly, especially on lighter backgrounds. This is because the pixel density of the screen in the area of ​​the camera is necessarily very low, because otherwise too little light reaches the camera sensor. The photo quality also turns out to be somewhat questionable, if you compare it with that of the front camera of the Z Fold 2. Bright parts quickly become overexposed and the image is a lot less sharp because the photos have a resolution of only 4 megapixels.

Samsung has also tackled the software for the Galaxy Z Fold 3. For example, proprietary apps such as Mail and Calendar now open by default in a multipane view with content on the right and a menu on the left. Other apps, such as Spotify, YouTube, Chrome and Whatsapp, would now be better optimized, for example because more options are displayed at the same time. The new OneUI 3 skin also includes improved multiwindow support with better animations and new features. For example, if you tap a link in the browser, you can quickly open it in a second window. On the right you can show a kind of taskbar to quickly switch between open apps. Of course, the software also still reacts to the position of the hinge. When you leave the Galaxy Z Fold 3 half open,

With a suggested retail price of 1799 euros, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is two hundred euros cheaper than what the Z Fold 2 cost at launch. Like the Z Flip 3, it will be in stores from August 27. If you find the S Pen interesting, it pays to order in advance, because with preorders the pen and a case for pen and device are included for free, as well as a charger. The box of the Z Fold 3 (and Z Flip 3) contains only a data cable as standard.

Galaxy Z Flip 3: Sleek, waterproof design

Although there has never been a ‘Galaxy Z Flip 2’, Samsung’s new, smaller foldable has also been given the serial number 3. In terms of hardware and software, there are less exciting innovations than with the Z Fold 3, although the 120Hz refresh rate of the folding screen is a welcome update compared to the 60Hz on the old model. The same goes for the addition of stereo speakers. The outside has been renewed all the more. As mentioned, the construction and dimensions of the housing are almost identical to those of the old version, but the new color scheme gives the device a completely different look.

Instead of the lavishly shiny purple glass of version one, the Z Flip 3 has a frosted glass housing in one color, such as lavender, white or dark green, as shown in the photos. The matte glass feels nicer in the hand than the non-slip shiny glass of the old model, and in our opinion, the whole also looks a lot sleeker. Whether the Z Flip 3 is the ‘most stylish foldable’ of the moment, as Samsung proudly proclaims, is something you have to decide for yourself.

At the top of the back is a black part with shiny glass, in which, in addition to the two cameras, the new cover screen is also hidden. In version 1 the screen was only just big enough to show the clock; the Z Flip 3’s screen that is four times larger gives much more space. You can show about the same on it as on your smartwatch, for example incoming notifications or the weather forecast. You can also show a clock, the design of which can be automatically matched to the new Galaxy Watch 4 watch (see below).

Finally, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is much cheaper than the old Z Flip, which cost no less than 1500 euros when introduced. Version 3 is available from 1049 euros, not even much more than the Galaxy S21 + with the same screen diagonal. The Z Flip 3 still lags behind the non-folding device in terms of specifications. For example, there is no telephoto camera and the primary and ultra-wide-angle cameras have lesser specifications than those of the S21+. The battery is a lot smaller, with a capacity of only 3300mAh. In combination with the Snapdragon 888, known as inefficient, the battery life of the Z Flip 3 is still a question mark.

Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic: First watches with Wear 3.0

In addition to the new foldables, Samsung also presented its new watches at Galaxy Unpacked: the Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic. They’re especially interesting because they’re the two launch devices for the brand-new Android Wear 3. Google and Samsung announced a partnership early this year with which Google wanted to bring its dormant smartwatch platform back to life. Samsung is crucial for this because it is able to design its own, fast socs for smartwatches. For example, the Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic are equipped with the Exynos W920 soc, which is made on a recent 5nm process. While Samsung will be the first to launch Wear 3 watches, Wear 3.0 smartwatches from other brands will also come later. In addition, a select group of Wear 2.0 watches will receive an update.