Hmmm a phone for $1800 or a MacBook Pro? Such a tough choice...
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Hands-On With Samsung's New $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold 3
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This is a beautiful, innovative, gorgeous design that has no reason to exist at all. And at 1,800$, damn it.
Again Samsung, just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should.
Again Samsung, just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should.
Just got mine today. It’s fantastic! Yeah, there are some compromises but overall it’s excellent.
I have many Apple products and I’m a fan but not a fanboy. Samsung makes great phones (especially Note phones).
I have many Apple products and I’m a fan but not a fanboy. Samsung makes great phones (especially Note phones).
I don't care one way or the other about foldables (other than the extra cost). But Samsung is really not thinking in a very innovative way here. They are doing the selfie camera with a barely functional compromise of the under display solution that originally was designed for a standard candybar phone. Standard phones all designed with the aesthetic that there can be no bezels even if the top bezel is made completely functional with cameras and lidar and other sensors. But on a foldable, with all of its other glaring compromises, it is silly to not rethink the aesthetic. The minuses of a foldable design can be utilized to overcome some of the minuses of the standard candybar design.
One of the biggest minuses is the thickness of the folded phone. Now what is one of the minuses of the thin candybar phones? The thinness makes it impossible to put in longer focal length cameras with larger lenses and sensors and a camera bump is the norm. So why are they copying the thin way of making cameras? Instead, make the back half of the phone have an extended camera box that is as deep as the folded phone and only holds front and back cameras and other sensors. The screen would only extend up to the bottom of the camera box. The front half, which also holds the outer screen on its back, would be shorter than the back half and fold into the gap left by the camera box, so that everything is flush when closed. No more camera bump, but larger lenses for both back cameras and the selfie camera. The selfie camera faces the user when both open and closed, and the other cameras face away. Done right, there should be room for lidar depth finders and anything else that is needed. And the larger lenses and sensors without other encumbrances will make better images even before applying computational imaging. That extra quality in the camera would probably be more desirable at that price point than even having a mini-tablet folded into the phone. I would think many more people would find the weight and bulk and cost bearable if the camera was leaps beyond anything else on standard smartphones.
One of the biggest minuses is the thickness of the folded phone. Now what is one of the minuses of the thin candybar phones? The thinness makes it impossible to put in longer focal length cameras with larger lenses and sensors and a camera bump is the norm. So why are they copying the thin way of making cameras? Instead, make the back half of the phone have an extended camera box that is as deep as the folded phone and only holds front and back cameras and other sensors. The screen would only extend up to the bottom of the camera box. The front half, which also holds the outer screen on its back, would be shorter than the back half and fold into the gap left by the camera box, so that everything is flush when closed. No more camera bump, but larger lenses for both back cameras and the selfie camera. The selfie camera faces the user when both open and closed, and the other cameras face away. Done right, there should be room for lidar depth finders and anything else that is needed. And the larger lenses and sensors without other encumbrances will make better images even before applying computational imaging. That extra quality in the camera would probably be more desirable at that price point than even having a mini-tablet folded into the phone. I would think many more people would find the weight and bulk and cost bearable if the camera was leaps beyond anything else on standard smartphones.
What a complete backwards way to sell a newish product. You don't sell it for a price that hardly anyone wants. $600 MAYBE but a bit less than that. $1800? 😂
Every. Single. Review. Mentions the crease ever since the OG Fold. And everyone of them that mentions it says yeah it‘s there and not a big deal when your head-on using the phone. More noticeable off-axis than anything. I’ll see for myself once I get mine (really just a test probably not keeping it), but just like that polarizing notch, it more often than not will just fade into the background (for most).
Don't speak for me because you don't know me. I don't want this overhyped (by Sammy) non-innovative gimmick.
That's how tech works... and 1,800$ and it's not their flagship?!
We all know how materials behave with folding, so I think there is a bit of counterintuitive thinking. But you aren't gong to be folding it enough to cause issues, and as far as longevity, NONE of this stuff lasts that long.
Only downside I see at this point is that $1800.
Only downside I see at this point is that $1800.
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I've been an iPhone user since 2007. This will make me switch!
I had a play with the previous model when waiting in line at my local Telco and I have to say - these are a really nice looking piece of kit.
Seemed to work well, although it was a shop demo unit, so you'd expect that...
Seemed to work well, although it was a shop demo unit, so you'd expect that...
When Samsung released the first generation of these foldables, everyone was trashing them due to their poor durability. Dust getting into the screen, device recalls etc, but respect to Samsung, they never gave up and continued developing them, and here we are with the much more durable 3rd gens, and they are now even waterproof! Just fantastic devices, and they look really good too, love the industrial design. For me personally the Z Flip 3 is the most intriguing phone on the market right now (would prefer stock android on it though), and considering pulling the trigger, but i do love my iphones aswell so not sure what im going to do (first world problem i know).
I'd have to hold it in my hand to know for sure but I could see this being really useful for business trips. It's not the greatest experience, while traveling, to have to break out my laptop or use my small iPhone 8 (company issues) screen while in an airport or sitting on a plane. Being able to increase the screen size significantly would alleviate a lot of the frustrations.
We all know that Apple benefits from Samsung’s experience unofficially. Tim probably already has one in his hands with more on their way to the Cupertino labs. Whatever folding iPhone gets released in two or three years will be based on what Apple learned from picking apart the first 4 or 5 generations of Samsung’s folding phones. That’s how you get a significantly more mature than it should be first generation product out the door. Smart Apple!
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This isn't even remotely true. MKBHD's first look has been up for a while, and other than the extreme screen aspect ratio when folded, the two main things I remember from his video are the crease (it's both visible and tactile), and the fact that the flexible screen is far softer (and thus less durable) than the rigid Gorilla Glass type screens on other phones.
It's a neat device with flaws. Saying that last part isn't "hating."
Off topic but, I don't know why it irritates me, but the use of the word "Anyways" always bothers me. 🤔
Trying to imagine who's stupid enough to actually pay msrp.. No interest in this but retailers are offering this for 899 basically as it's been all over the slickdeals sites.
Yep, the screen is fragile. Apps are even worse if you can find any optimized for it. Then there's the usual samsung bloatware. I understand the interest in a foldable. But this isn't it.