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

[spinedoc77]

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

A distant tomorrow perhaps. For them to actually put AR into wearables (assuming glasses for now) is a big leap. I don't mean the wearable glasses like we see today, I mean something that will completely replace your phone, smartwatch, computer, etc. Meaning not only a viable screen, but also viable input methods, etc. So while I don't disagree with you, I feel that future is much more distant than perfecting a shrinking phone and still having physical screens.

 

[spinedoc77]

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.

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.

Many of the Samsung defenders act like it.

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.

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.

No you are not understanding the difference between this and an iPad. With the Fold you can carry it in the same foot print as a phone, that means putting it in your front pocket just as easily as any other phone. You can't fold an iPad. You can't unfold an iPhone. I get your combination, I used that combination for years and it (just as the Fold does) has significant trade offs. Neither is particularly better, again I can only subjectively say that the Fold is better for MY paradigm. We should stop confusing "it isn't good for me" with "it isn't good for anyone"

Nah, you are talking down to others in your tone and attitude. That's why others respond in kind, and before you know it, it's a never ending cycle. The issue is that no one is right or wrong, everything is just subjective. Once you accept that you realize it's not an argument, it's just everyone wanting everyone else to understand their subjective opinion. TLDR: Chill out. At the end of the day neither Samsung nor Apple care about your allegiance beyond the money they can get out of your wallet.

 

[Maconplasma]

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[Maconplasma]

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[Abazigal]

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.

Mmm. I feel that Apple has always seen their strengths as providing cohesive experiences made possibly by their control of hardware, software and services. So it’s not that Apple is now wading into services just for the extra revenue, but they see these services as helping to plug certain gaps in their ecosystem and add extra value for its users (or at least, the users who are willing to pay for them).

 

[Zwhaler]

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.

How many places do you have your smartphone when it isn't practical to have your iPad? (assuming you have one... btw I think they're the best tablets on the market FWIW). Only 98% of the time? My point stands. It's like saying the best camera is the one you have with you. Except for tablets. iPads aren't even in the same league. iPads are better on the couch. Everywhere else, they're not practical to carry with you unless you have a backpack all the time.

It's sort of like what laptops did to desktops. They even fold in half! It wasn't practical to bring your desktop to the coffee shop. Enter laptops... Get it?

 

[Ixon2001]

Once these foldable or future rollable phone become commonplace & technology improves & the price becomes more reasonable, tablet's will start to become a niche product as they won't be needed anymore for the average consumer.

Apple will be the first to kill of it's tablet's in favor of it's foldable phones, when they invent the foldable smartphone that is & bring it to market in the next few years.

 

[adib]

Reminds me of the Nokia Communicator line, with a built-in foldable keyboard and a large screen inside, as well as small screen and numeric keypad outside. It was useful for some people who needs a pocket laptop. Furthermore it was among the few phones that was able to send/receive faxes (when faxing was still a thing).

 

[The Game 161]

Once these foldable or future rollable phone become commonplace & technology improves & the price becomes more reasonable, tablet's will start to become a niche product as they won't be needed anymore for the average consumer.

Apple will be the first to kill of it's tablet's in favor of it's foldable phones, when they invent the foldable smartphone that is & bring it to market in the next few years.

There’s no way the tablet market will be killed off for foldables. For most people would likely prefer an iPhone and iPad mini option instead of just replacing it. More due to the size and overall bulk

I will be first in line for an iPhone/ iPad mini all in one as long as the camera specs for the pros are on the foldable

 

[Maconplasma]

Had this been Apple who turned out this over-priced half-baked product with an obvious crease in the middle it would be all over the news stations, stock reports as well as the internet with tons of backlash. Samsung can get away with this because they barely make news outside of forums and tech bloggers. I'm sure Samsung wants Apple to quickly follow suit and make such a device so they can take the backlash and see if this product will stick. Samsung is cowardly, they make Apple take the backlash on new ideas then Samsung tries to profit off of Apple's backlash after the flames come down. IF Apple puts out anything like this it WILL be done right because this implementation from Samsung is done wrong. Unfortunately this is just an idea of a solution to a problem that does not exist.

 

[spinedoc77]

There’s no way the tablet market will be killed off for foldables. For most people would likely prefer an iPhone and iPad mini option instead of just replacing it. More due to the size and overall bulk

I will be first in line for an iPhone/ iPad mini all in one as long as the camera specs for the pros are on the foldable

It depends how large they can get a tablet out of a phone. There is certainly talk around a tri fold phone, rumors not too long ago had Samsung releasing one this year. Quad fold phones have also been talked about. Yeah yeah I get it, thickness, weight, etc, all those things that the short sighted always gnash their teeth about. If we all listened to the short sighted we would never have had the Galaxy Fold, which think what you will, is still a marvel of technology.

And again, we don't know what technology will bring, it may not be foldable at all. Maybe it will be like some of the current prototypes, where you simply unroll the screen like you might unroll a map (for the older ones out there who remember life before GPS lol). My personal opinion is that tablets AND smartphones will most definitely be supplanted by the shrinking tablet/enlarging phone paradigm, it just might not (and IMHO probably won't be) from folding technology. Tablets will still exist for more high end configurations, the largest screens, and niche applications such as graphic design. But for your average mom and pop they are going to have a smartphone which somehow enlarges into a larger screen. The next step, as some have pointed out, is to have an AR screen projected from glasses, or maybe contacts, or hell maybe it will be a brain implanted microchip.

 

[aberrero]

Just chiming in to say that I love my fold 3. I bought it thinking I might return it for a 13 Pro Max, but I don't see how I can ever go back to a normal phone again. If you appreciate the Plus/Max iPhone, this is like that but better, and more pocketable. I was pretty lukewarm about the folds for a long time, but I was sold in 5 seconds once I used one in person. The big screen is just so much better for everything I use my phone for, and it is technically top of the line.

The crease doesn't matter. It's there, sure, but not super noticeable, pretty much invisible when you have video oe photos over it. Same for the under display camera. Visible against a white background, but disappears over content, or in dark mode.

I'm planning to get rid if my 12.9" OG iPad pro, which is getting a bit long in the tooth now. I mainly use it for web browsing and stuff, things that the more handholdable Fold is actually more comfortable for.

 

[Flight Plan]

It reminds me of the launch of the iPad. People didn’t understand the product, called it a “Big iPhone.”

...

I don’t much like complaints about expensive technology (not saying that this comment applies to you, but I’ve seen people argue that all new tech should be priced for the masses). There is always going to be bleeding edge tech that not everyone can afford, but even if they can’t afford it, they benefit from it.

It brings the new tech to the people that can afford it, but in the coming years, that tech trickles down to the mid range and budget phones. True tone, laminated screens, touch/face id, promotion, Apple Pencil, etc. All those features started on the high end, end up on the entry level. That is because the people who can’t afford them, benefit from better yield rates as the technology matures. I’m not opposed to a company saying “look, this is the best version of a phon we can make, but it’s priced 2.5x more than our normal flaghsip price. We know we’ll sell fewer units than we’d like, but here it is for those who want and can afford it.”

Anyone remember the $100k flat screens that only basketball players owned?

You're saying that the people who buy technology when it's still early in its lifecycle; we are the people who take all the arrows. The tech is dodgy, reliability is not there, the design isn't mature yet, and the odds of product or vendor failure are high, which would leave us out of luck. And you're right about that.

Also, the people who buy early technology are also typically the ones who pay the most taxes. Which support things like the US space program, resulting in the most amazing things humans have ever done, and the most amazing products we have ever been able to eventually give to the masses.

Example: Star Trek's "communicators" went from being science fiction on Teevee all the way to being in everybody's pocket. Can you not communicate with pretty much anybody else in the world in anything but the most primitive places...and sometimes even those? And we even one-upped Star Trek by adding a camera to our "communicators".

But SOMEBODY had to be paying taxes, some of which went into those space programs and eventually became calculators and microprocessors and liquid crystal displays and light emitting diodes, and are now so ubiquitous that even the poorest amongst us can afford this technology.

Thanks dad!

And then somebody ELSE had to pick up the baton and be brave and buy that new calculator when nobody else had one like it, or that "Pong" video game you had to play on your TV tuned to "channel 3", or that new camera, or that cell phone...and again when it became a "smart phone", and YET AGAIN when that same technology was used to make a tablet. All while those early products were still expensive and sometimes not quite so reliable.

You're welcome! 😁

 

[Tagbert]

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

Also Business 101: They do lower the price when their production costs go down through improving the process. Lowering the price can increase the volume and improve the overall profitability of a product.

 

[mudflap]

Beautiful, beautiful piece of tech. Those saying foldable phones are trash, you wont buy them etc - wait until you see Apple release one and talk again

That's because Apple will do it better than everybody else, if they ever actually do it. I just don't think the tech is there yet.

 

[icecube711]

Just to add my two cents: I have been an Apple user for my whole life, and have always used iPhones as my primary phone. (Currently a 12 Pro Max.) Over the years, I've had a couple Android phones for work purposes, but never considered moving to Android for my personal purposes.

I decided to get a Fold 3 to upgrade my work device, and it's so good that I'm figuring out how I can move to using it as my primary phone.

Yeah, it's thick. Yeah, the software isn't as good. Yeah, there's a crease visible at certain angles. I wish the cameras were better.

But, having the big screen everywhere is so, so handy and the multitasking is so well implemented that I'm willing to look past those things. It's like having an iPad mini that fits in your pocket everywhere you go. I've even gone so far as to set up AirMessage on an old MacBook to be able to use iMessage on the Fold.

I don't think I'll ever not have an iPhone associated with my iCloud account and the phone number I've had forever, but this year it might be a less expensive model or a mini because I expect to be carrying around the Fold most of the time.

Just like Eddy Cue's email about the iPad mini, Apple needs to take notice of this product category, because the use of it is really compelling, and I'd love to see what they could do here.

 

[kenaustus]

$1,800 is a bit high. I'm thinking that sales are not going to be that great and a new sales price will come out - probably right after Christmas,

 

[Marshall73]

You are presented with the following warnings when you boot up the Fold 3 for the first time.

Pressing the screen or the front camera lens with a hard or sharp obiect
such as pen or fingernail may cause damage such as scratches or dents.

Only use a Samsung S Pen Pro or S Pen Fold Edition. Other S Pens or
styluses may damage the main screen.

When you fold the phone, make sure there's nothing inside such as a
card, keys, coins, or an S Pen.

This phone isn't dust resistant. Exposure to small particles such as sand
may cause damage.

This phone is water resistant (IPX8). Immersion in any liquid other than
fresh water, such as saltwater or alcohol, can damage your phone.

Don't remove the protective film on the main screen or apply unapproved
films or stickers, as doing so can damage your screen.

Your phone contains magnets. Keep it away from credit cards,
implantable medical devices, and other devices that may be affected by
magnets.

better make sure you have your fingernails trimmed right back. LOL

 

[Abazigal]

That's because Apple will do it better than everybody else, if they ever actually do it. I just don't think the tech is there yet.

I still personally think that the idea of having to unfold and fold a tablet every time you want to use it is a fundamentally flawed one.

 

[bobcomer]

I still personally think that the idea of having to unfold and fold a tablet every time you want to use it is a fundamentally flawed one.

Even if all you have to carry it in is your pocket?

Anyway, you don't have to buy it and saying it doesn't make sense, doesn't make sense, it will do no good for you, and those of us that does think it makes sense, will buy it. I don't use tablets hardly at all, so I went for a Flip 3 and I love it! It's so much better than Gen 1 foldables and battery life is better than I expected.

 

[Abazigal]

Even if all you have to carry it in is your pocket?

Anyway, you don't have to buy it and saying it doesn't make sense, doesn't make sense, it will do no good for you, and those of us that does think it makes sense, will buy it. I don't use tablets hardly at all, so I went for a Flip 3 and I love it! It's so much better than Gen 1 foldables and battery life is better than I expected.

I agree. It’s another choice in a sea of smartphone choices and I am not one to knock that.

 

[Xenden]

I still personally think that the idea of having to unfold and fold a tablet every time you want to use it is a fundamentally flawed one.

I think the way the Fold is supposed to be perceived as a product, is that you can do your normal phone things, but if you want to used a bigger canvas for entertainment or productivity, you pop open the tablet.

Once the tech is thined out when it’s folded up, i can see this being a big product category.

Also, i really think the Flip style phone may end up being the more popular style. Women will probably like that their phone may fit in their pockets, plus, it was always fun to slam a flip phone shut when your finished with a frustrating conversation.

 

[Abazigal]

I think the way the Fold is supposed to be perceived as a product, is that you can do your normal phone things, but if you want to used a bigger canvas for entertainment or productivity, you pop open the tablet.

Once the tech is thined out when it’s folded up, i can see this being a big product category.

Also, i really think the Flip style phone may end up being the more popular style. Women will probably like that their phone may fit in their pockets, plus, it was always fun to slam a flip phone shut when your finished with a frustrating conversation.

I was just playing with the phone for a while at an electronics store yesterday. Build quality feels solid, I suppose the front part of the phone suffices for basic stuff like messaging and calling where you don’t care so much about screen estate. When unfolded, the larger display is nice for viewing an entire calendar, map or spreadsheet. I didn’t get to play with the multitasking features.

I think it can become a viable product if the front phone portion is closer to the typical proportions of a normal smartphone, and you can unfold it to get an even larger tablet. The first step would be about making people indifferent between using the galaxy fold and a normal smartphone, with the unfolding option as a pure bonus.

The crease admittedly doesn’t bother me at all. I hardly noticed it at all while interacting with apps.

It’s still thicker than I would care to put in my pants pocket (probably won’t matter for women who just toss it into their handbag). I suspect the constant folding is something that will start to grate on me over time (I concede that I won’t own a Fold long enough to see if this truly is the case or not).

I don’t know if these can ever be engineered away (anything that can make the fold thinner would also go towards making normal smartphones thinner, and it will always need that armoured frame to protect the fragile display), but yeah, that’s that.

 

[Johns12]

I still personally think that the idea of having to unfold and fold a tablet every time you want to use it is a fundamentally flawed one.

I know that you are a big Apple fan, but I usually find your post to at least be reasonably. It's not like you have to unfold the phone to use it. The screen size when folded is similar to many smartphones that some Apple fans clamor for. Smaller. You can use it for text, calls, and general things without unfolding. Why would I need to unfold it to send or read a text, check the weather, and many other things that don't require much screen real estate.

 

[Abazigal]

I know that you are a big Apple fan, but I usually find your post to at least be reasonably. It's not like you have to unfold the phone to use it. The screen size when folded is similar to many smartphones that some Apple fans clamor for. Smaller. You can use it for text, calls, and general things without unfolding. Why would I need to unfold it to send or read a text, check the weather, and many other things that don't require much screen real estate.

For quick calls and messages, perhaps, but are people really going to be okay using the phone portion of the Fold for extended periods of time? I feel it’s too tall, too narrow, and too thick, and if I were chatting with my friend for more than a few texts, I would be better off using a normal smartphone with more “normal” dimensions.

I suppose calls can be handwaved away by simply saying that everyone relies on wireless headsets these days, so the actual form factor of your device doesn’t matter.

But when I am on the go, I wouldn’t want to be messaging on a device with a tablet form factor either. That’s where I believe the irritation from the constant folding / unfolding part kicks in.

This is also why I feel that even in its current (third) incarnation, the messaging behind the device is at odds with how people will likely end up using it. To me, it’s (still) not a smartphone that happens to unfold into a larger device.

Rather, it’s a small tablet that folds in half so that it can fit in your pocket. This is a completely different product experience than what Samsung is currently marketing. What we are left with is a device which doesn’t feel practical as a smartphone, and is still too small for a tablet.

And this is why I feel that most people are better off just carrying a better smartphone, than a small tablet that folds into a suboptimal smartphone. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who will derive great value from this product, it just means that this belongs more in the bucket of curved displays (design trends that won’t catch on) vs phablets (trend that end up reinventing the whole market).