Hands-On With Samsung's New $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold 3

[M3gatron]

Yeah the Samsung Crease's inventory will shrink alright. Once Samsung realizes very few will buy this thing especially at the overpriced amount of a stupid $1800.

Yeah right

Samsung says Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 have broken its sales record

Samsung has confirmed in a statement that pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 have passed all of its foldable smartphone sales to date in 2021.

www.sammobile.com

They now expect Samsung to sell 5.2 million units of its new foldables this year. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are more durable, powerful and stylish than their predecessors. They have also received substantial price cuts. If the pre-order figures are an indication, its new foldables are going to be super hit devices.
What’s especially interesting about these Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 numbers are how they compare to Samsung’s non-foldable smartphones. Apparently, pre-order sales of the Fold 3 and Flip 3 combined are over twice what the Galaxy S21 series saw earlier this year and 1.5 times more than the Galaxy Note 20 series in 2020. That certainly paints a promising picture for the future of foldable smartphones.

Also Samsung decreased the prices of their latest foldables vs previous generations. Sales are obviously increasing.

 

[spinedoc77]

Yeah the Samsung Crease's inventory will shrink alright. Once Samsung realizes very few will buy this thing especially at the overpriced amount of a stupid $1800.

They are seeing great numbers. No it won't surpass the iPhone by any stretch of the imagination, but so far it has surpassed all Note 20 preorders and I believe it surpassed the S21 preorders as well. I can only offer my personal opinion, but it's actually underpriced IMO when I compare it to my prior combination of an iPad mini and an iPhone Pro Max.

 

[Maconplasma]

Also Samsung decreased the prices of their latest foldables vs previous generations. Sales are obviously increasing.

LOL Business 101. A company doesn't decrease product prices when sales are increasing. 😂

 

[spinedoc77]

The MR reviewer easily saw the crease. Is he lying? Are his eyes just looking in the wrong angle?

No one said you don't actually see the crease. It's just that you perceive it much less, if at all, once your eyes get used to it. This is something that can't really be explained, you have to use the phone for a few days. Many reviews mention this exact same point, that you get used to it and really don't perceive it anymore. Again I'm not arguing that the crease isn't a negative, it's just that in my opinion it's such a tiny negative I really don't care.

 

[wigby]

And what exactly has Samsung innovated in that forced Apple to compete?

Samsung led the way in manufacture and marketing of large screen phones, stylus use cases, removable / upgradeable storage, OLED displays and probably a few other things I don’t know about. I say that because while I don’t care about these things, I’m sure many Samsung (and some Apple) customers do care.

 

[M3gatron]

LOL Business 101. A company doesn't decrease product prices when sales are increasing. 😂

It's just a direct result of the fact that technology is maturing/improving.
Their final goal is to make Foldables mainstream and that means they need to become cheaper and closer to current smartphone prices. So business 101 alright, I guess Samsung's strategy is too complicated for you.

Anyway weren't you suggesting that the sales of Samsung latest foldables will decrease because of "the overpriced amount of a stupid $1800"?

 

[Maconplasma]

It's just a direct result of the fact that technology is maturing/improving.

And it's outrageous to pay nearly $2000 for an "improving" product with an obvious flaw.

Their final goal is to make Foldables mainstream and that means they need to become cheaper and closer to current smartphone prices.

Do you have Samsung's business plan in front of you?

So business 101 alright, I guess Samsung's strategy is too complicated for you.

Yep, when a person is defensive of the criticism of a company the first thing they do is make personal attacks. Others here have stated their opinions civilly you should do the same. 🙄

 

[wigby]

Well then go back and read what I wrote before you decided to concentrate only on my irony with Apple inventing foldables. You said "folding phones will get much better over next few years" while "Apple has enough sense to sit out this round until the technology..." while at the same time saying that "companies like Samsung are racing to market with half-baked products" so cheaply criticizing Samsung for developing/improving a technology and concept that Apple will inevitably use in the future.
I just said that somebody has do do something in order for the folding phones to get much better, somebody has to improve the technology while Apple sits around and waits. It's just simple logic.

Apple has been working on their own foldables for years according to reliable sources. They will release them if/when they don’t hinder the user experience with poor display quality, ergonomics, lifespan and manufacturability. Since they don’t have manufacturing capabilities like Samsung, they will probably commission Samsung to manufacture some or all. They did this with OLED already. Why is this news to someone on the macrumors forum like you?

 

[M3gatron]

And it's outrageous to pay nearly $2000 for an "improving" product with an obvious flaw.

Do you have Samsung's business plan in front of you?

Yep, when a person is defensive of the criticism of a company the first thing they do is make personal attacks. Others here have stated their opinions civilly you should do the same. 🙄

You are the only one that's defensive. Why don't you admit that you were wrong when you claimed that "Samsung Crease's inventory will shrink alright" so basically the sales of their foldables will decrease when it's obviously not true?

Also in regards to

Do you have Samsung's business plan in front of you?

Samsung vows to make foldable smartphones 'mainstream'

In its latest earnings release, Samsung confirmed that it will release new foldable smartphones soon and attempt to make the category "mainstream."

www.engadget.com

Seriously, it's all over the internet.

And you are not criticizing anything, you are purely and relentlessly just attacking Samsung and their products with every post and every chance, that's it.

 

[M3gatron]

Apple has been working on their own foldables for years according to reliable sources.

Yeah sure sure, reliable sources.
There isn't any reliable information about Apple and what they've been doing in regards to foldables, just suppositions, people imagining stuff.

 

[wigby]

Yeah sure sure, reliable sources.
There isn't any reliable information about Apple and what they've been doing in regards to foldables, just suppositions, people imagining stuff.

Hardware design / engineering companies like Apple probably release 1 out of every 100 products they develop internally. Some of those are barely tech demos while others get very close to final prototype. That’s the reason it spawned an entire industry of leakers and tech journalists. And like it or not it’s the reason you’re on a website called macrumors.

 

[M3gatron]

Hardware design / engineering companies like Apple probably release 1 out of every 100 products they develop internally. Some of those are barely tech demos while others get very close to final prototype. That’s the reason it spawned an entire industry of leakers and tech journalists. And like it or not it’s the reason you’re on a website called macrumors.

They are still just suppositions. Only people that work at Apple know what they develop internally.
My point is that this line of discussion is not reliable or relevant as it's based on fables.

 

[Zwhaler]

No sh sherlock, that IS the entire point. Having a tablet shrink down to the size of a phone. Functionally the Fold 3 IS a tablet when folded out.

Some people can't get past the idea that it's a compromised phone (which it indeed technically is...) to see that really it's a foldable tablet that also replaces your smartphone.

 

[Zwhaler]

You're making a case for tablets, which is ridiculous. That doesn't automatically translate to the foldable phone, which is the real problem with this. You people think it automatically just works the way you envision it. It does not.

The Galaxy Fold is a foldable tablet that also replaces your smartphone. That's what people don't get. It's compromised as a phone with its thicker and narrower front screen - no debate there. Other than being 0.3" smaller than an iPad mini screen, it isn't compromised as a tablet. The fact that it folds in half opens up an entire new world of usability scenarios. Owning this technology for the past year has been incredible. Vote with your wallet.

 

[Maconplasma]

The fact that it folds in half opens up an entire new world of usability scenarios. Owning this technology for the past year has been incredible.

Exaggerate much? Like what? Once it's open it's just another tablet but with a crease in the middle. Even Samsung isn't advertising this "entire new world of usability scenarios" they are focusing on the Samsung Crease folding.

Vote with your wallet.

That's exactly what I will be doing.

 

[Rafterman]

They are seeing great numbers. No it won't surpass the iPhone by any stretch of the imagination, but so far it has surpassed all Note 20 preorders and I believe it surpassed the S21 preorders as well. I can only offer my personal opinion, but it's actually underpriced IMO when I compare it to my prior combination of an iPad mini and an iPhone Pro Max.

I saw a report from Bloomberg, in India, the Fold 3 and Flip sold at a rate 2.7 times higher than the Note 20 - which was a cheaper phone. That was just India, but I see delivery dates for the Fold on the US carriers is three-four weeks now for some models, which usually doesn't happen with Samsung, due to the wide choice of available Android choices. So, someone is buying it. Bloomberg also said Samsung will produce 4 million foldables this year.

 

[teksurv]

For someone who is calling others out as defensive, you sure are leading the charge. By your own critiques, even if this was an Apple product running iOS and/or iPadOS, it would be a fail for you. Got it. It's great to be able to make decisions.

Maconplasma:​

Zwhaler said:
The fact that it folds in half opens up an entire new world of usability scenarios. Owning this technology for the past year has been incredible.

Exaggerate much? Like what? Once it's open it's just another tablet but with a crease in the middle. Even Samsung isn't advertising this "entire new world of usability scenarios" they are focusing on the Samsung Crease folding.

Zwhaler said:
Vote with your wallet.

That's exactly what I will be doing.

 

[wigby]

They are still just suppositions. Only people that work at Apple know what they develop internally.
My point is that this line of discussion is not reliable or relevant as it's based on fables.

You sound really hung up on this foldable thing. Good luck with that.

 

[boss.king]

That crease!
Elephant in the room that never gets mentioned even though it is it's fatal flaw

It gets mentioned by every reviewer. They say it’s the same as the notch, you apparently don’t notice after a few minutes of use.

 

[Abazigal]

Samsung led the way in manufacture and marketing of large screen phones, stylus use cases, removable / upgradeable storage, OLED displays and probably a few other things I don’t know about. I say that because while I don’t care about these things, I’m sure many Samsung (and some Apple) customers do care.

I will admit that Samsung popularised large screen smartphones, and frankly, that just seems to be about it.

Personally, I view foldable displays for smartphones as belonging more in the bucket of edge screens and smartphone pens (ie: design trends that have not caught on) vs large screens (design trends that have become the norm).

And that’s the funny part. When the discussion comes down to how Samsung is innovative, everyone always cites phablets, and they can pretty much only cite phablets, because frankly, what else has Samsung revolutionised?

Apple has the iphone, ipad, Apple Watch, AirPods, M1 Macs. They took the heat for initiatives like removing the headphone jack and charging brick, and other companies eventually hopped on board after initially attempting to distance themselves from this move. iOS devices have never offered expandable storage or removable batteries either, and now, way fewer smartphones do.

Samsung talks up a huge deal about being an “experience innovator”, yet their weakness is conspicuously in offering cohesive experiences. We see this in Samsung increasingly relying on their hardware expertise and tying up with other service companies like Spotify and netflix to get around what is pretty much a non-existent software and services portfolio on their own end.

As for foldables, the reality I am seeing is this - foldables are flopping in the market and they are flopping hard. I am simply not seeing any sustainable buzz to be found with these devices. The value proposition being put forth by Samsung is clearly insufficient to create the buzz necessary to translate into meaningful sales.

It’s very much possible that there is a niche market for whom these products will work well for, but the problem is that Samsung is ultimately marketing these devices to the masses.

In the same vein, it puzzles me how people can talk about how Samsung is being so innovative with folding phones and how that is supposedly changing the way we use smartphones, while ignoring that Apple is currently already doing that with wearables.

Here’s the hill I am willing to die on - the way Samsung is dragging its feet with smartwatches is a strategic blunder that they will end up paying dearly for over the next decade.

 

[spinedoc77]

Exaggerate much? Like what? Once it's open it's just another tablet but with a crease in the middle. Even Samsung isn't advertising this "entire new world of usability scenarios" they are focusing on the Samsung Crease folding.

That's exactly what I will be doing.

Nope, he's not exaggerating, I feel the same. But this, of course, is a VERY subjective thing and this phone is not for everyone. It's not that it's a tablet, and it's not that it's a phone, it's that it is a phone AND a tablet at the same time.

Look I get it, talking down to Samsung phones makes you happy. I don't think anyone here is saying the Fold series is going to take over the world. No, at best it will have robust, yet still niche sales, probably not much different than the Note series. It's a phone that works very well for some of us, but not at all for others such as yourself. We should engage in meaningful discussions, it's just when it gets to the "hur Samsung suck..." level it's just not a fun conversation anymore.

 

[spinedoc77]

I will admit that Samsung popularised large screen smartphones, and frankly, that just seems to be about it.

Personally, I view foldable displays for smartphones as belonging more in the bucket of edge screens and smartphone pens (ie: design trends that have not caught on) vs large screens (design trends that have become the norm).

And that’s the funny part. When the discussion comes down to how Samsung is innovative, everyone always cites phablets, and they can pretty much only cite phablets, because frankly, what else has Samsung revolutionised?

Apple has the iphone, ipad, Apple Watch, AirPods, M1 Macs. They took the heat for initiatives like removing the headphone jack and charging brick, and other companies eventually hopped on board after initially attempting to distance themselves from this move. iOS devices have never offered expandable storage or removable batteries either, and now, way fewer smartphones do.

Samsung talks up a huge deal about being an “experience innovator”, yet their weakness is conspicuously in offering cohesive experiences. We see this in Samsung increasingly relying on their hardware expertise and tying up with other service companies like Spotify and netflix to get around what is pretty much a non-existent software and services portfolio on their own end.

As for foldables, the reality I am seeing is this - foldables are flopping in the market and they are flopping hard. I am simply not seeing any sustainable buzz to be found with these devices. The value proposition being put forth by Samsung is clearly insufficient to create the buzz necessary to translate into meaningful sales.

It’s very much possible that there is a niche market for whom these products will work well for, but the problem is that Samsung is ultimately marketing these devices to the masses.

In the same vein, it puzzles me how people can talk about how Samsung is being so innovative with folding phones and how that is supposedly changing the way we use smartphones, while ignoring that Apple is currently already doing that with wearables.

Here’s the hill I am willing to die on - the way Samsung is dragging its feet with smartwatches is a strategic blunder that they will end up paying dearly for over the next decade.

My 2 cents is Samsung is trying to push the industry into a new direction. That's why I've always espoused that "foldables" are most likely not the future, but rather we should think about "shrinking" phones. Folding phones is just where the technology is today, we don't know where it will be tomorrow. Rollable maybe? Or maybe a new technology that hasn't been invented or isn't ready for the market?

 

[Abazigal]

My 2 cents is Samsung is trying to push the industry into a new direction. That's why I've always espoused that "foldables" are most likely not the future, but rather we should think about "shrinking" phones. Folding phones is just where the technology is today, we don't know where it will be tomorrow. Rollable maybe? Or maybe a new technology that hasn't been invented or isn't ready for the market?

My bet is less on folding phones and more on wearables (Apple Watch today, Apple glasses tomorrow).

 

[Maconplasma]

Nope, he's not exaggerating, I feel the same. But this, of course, is a VERY subjective thing

Yes, exactly it is subjective. Once the phone is opened it becomes a tablet/phone. You can use the iPad for 100% the same thing. You can either tether it to an iPhone for phone calls while keeping the phone put away or in your pocket or just get the cellular version. It's the apps that open the world of usage, not just a Combi Phone/Tablet.

Look I get it, talking down to Samsung phones makes you happy.

You're confusing stating an opinion vs. talking down. It's odd that I am being expected to speak "properly" when it comes to Samsung when this is an Apple-enthusiast site. Every single day here people are constantly trashing Apple with unnerving comments. If it's okay for people on an Apple site to talk down on Apple I don't see why people expect the opposite with an Apple competitor. Be real about it, Samsung forums are saying "Apple Sucks" every day and far worse to a point they are simply trolling. I'm speaking my opinion here and I'm not going to write "proper" comments just to make the Samsung fanboys happy. I express my opinion the way I see fit. It's so weird to defend my own comments about an Apple competitor on an Apple forum. 🤷

Also Samsung deserves the criticism for so many reasons. They trash Apple's products all the time in ads and Apple remains quiet. Samsung even made fun of Apple's customers for standing in line to buy the next new iPhone by calling people stupid for clamoring to get an iPhone. Samsung is not going to grab Apple customers by calling them stupid in ads.

I don't think anyone here is saying the Fold series is going to take over the world.

Many of the Samsung defenders act like it.

We should engage in meaningful discussions,

I thought you and I were until you accused me of trashing the Samsung phone just to make myself happy. That's silly. I don't care for the product and I have every right to say so. Others here attacking my posts were saying that once Apple makes a foldable phone I personally would buy it. Nope. And that's extremely condescending. I have not made any personal attacks to anyone here and it's quite silly for people here to defend against negative comments on a big corporation's new product. The negative comments shouldn't affect anyone here personally.

it's just when it gets to the "hur Samsung suck..." level it's just not a fun conversation anymore.

I'm sure you were speaking as a whole but if you can show me anywhere that I simply wrote "Samsung Suck" then I won't dispute it.

 

[Rafterman]

Samsung talks up a huge deal about being an “experience innovator”, yet their weakness is conspicuously in offering cohesive experiences. We see this in Samsung increasingly relying on their hardware expertise and tying up with other service companies like Spotify and netflix to get around what is pretty much a non-existent software and services portfolio on their own end.

Many would argue that Apple let their hardware innovation slip because they are more interested in services. I would rather have a more interesting iPhone, not another Apple TV+ show.