Since we will be answering a whole lot of questions here, we have divided the article into various sub-headings and categories. If you have a specific question in mind, use the table below to navigate directly to the related sub-heading to find the answer to your question. That said, we recommend you read the entire article to get a holistic understanding of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you are truly considering buying it.
- Does the Galaxy Z Fold 3 support 5G networks?
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 5G supports Non-Standalone (NSA), Standalone (SA), and sub-6/ mmWave 5G connectivity. Depending on the market, it will support multiple 5G bands, including n1, n3, n7, n8, n28b, n28a, n41, n77, and n78.
In the US, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G has been priced starting at $1,799 for the base 256GB model, while the more premium 512GB model has an asking price of $1,899.
In the UK, the device costs £1,599 and £1,699 for the two variants, respectively. As for the EU market, Z Fold 3 has a price tag of €1,799 and €1,899 for the 256GB and 512GB models. Pricing for the Indian market is yet to be announced.
Yes, the prices mentioned in the article are the full retail prices for unlocked versions of the foldable device. You can expect to pay much smaller down payments if you subscribe to a long-term carrier plan. Different carriers around the world have started announcing their own pricing for the locked versions as we speak.
In the US, Verizon is offering the Z Fold 3 on contract starting at $59.99 per month for 30 months and $74.99 for 24 months. Other deals and discounts include trade-in options, 25 percent off across all Galaxy Z Fold 3 cases and covers, and even a free Galaxy Z Flip 3 with unlimited plans.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a bit more affordable at $1,799 than its predecessor, which was priced starting at $1,999 in the US for the base model. We expect it to be priced lower than its predecessor in India as well.
- When is the Galaxy Z Fold 3 release date and will it be available in my country?
Galaxy Z Fold 3 is already up for pre-order in the US through Samsung’s website and all major carriers. The device will officially go on sale on August 27 in select markets, including the US, UK, South Korea, and some EU countries.
Samsung is offering the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in three colors – Phantom Black, Phantom Green, and Phantom Silver.
There are multiple launch offers available on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Firstly, all orders before August 26 are eligible for up to $200 in Samsung Credit. Secondly, Samsung is offering a free one-year accidental damage insurance, including a one-time screen replacement guarantee as part of the optional 3-year Samsung Care+ plan.
- How many displays does the Galaxy Z Fold 3 have?
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 features two displays, both AMOLED and with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. The outer display is a 6.2-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED panel with a 25:9 aspect ratio and 2,268 x 832 resolution at 387ppi. The foldable display on the inside is the larger one, measuring 7.6-inch Full-HD+ Dynamic AMOLED with a resolution of 2,208 x 1,768 at 374ppi.
Of course, there is! The outer panel comes with Gorilla Glass Victus, Corning’s strongest protection technology yet. The folding display also comes with a protective film covering that the company claims is 80% stronger than the last generation.
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with bezel-less displays both on the inside and out. While the outer display has a punch-hole for the selfie camera, the larger panel on the inside is notchless, making for a clean, elegant design.
The frame of the Z Fold 3 is made out of a metal called ‘Armor Aluminum’ that Samsung claims is the strongest material to ever go on a phone.
Waterproof yes, dust-proof no. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 carries an IPX8 rating for water resistance, meaning you can submerge it for 30 minutes in up to 1.5 meters of water, and it should come out unscathed. However, the ‘X’ denotes that it doesn’t have any dust protection, which means dust particles getting into the hinge might still be an issue.
That means you can take your foldable to a pool party but using it at the beach is a big no-no. However, Samsung recommends not to use the Z Fold 3 in either of the two scenarios.
When folded, the Z Fold 3 measures 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm, while unfolded, the measurements are 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4-16 mm. Thanks largely to the dual screens, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is also rather heavy, weighing in at a hefty 271 grams.
As mentioned already, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus both on the cover display and on the rear glass panel. As for the main panel, Samsung claims its protective film is 80% stronger than what we saw in the Z Fold 2. Further, the Z Fold 3’s hinge is 10% stronger than that of its predecessor, which is good news for folks who might be worried about durability.
- Is the Galaxy Z Fold 3 Powered by an Exynos or Snapdragon Processor?
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC from Qualcomm. The chip comes with 1x Kryo 680 (Cortex-X1) Prime core @ 2.84GHz, 3x Kryo 680 (Cortex-A78) Performance cores @ 2.4GHz, and 4x Kryo 680 (Cortex-A55) Efficiency cores @1.8GHz. Snapdragon 888 also has an integrated Adreno 660 GPU.
- What are the RAM and storage options?
At launch, Samsung is making the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is available in two storage variants – 256GB and 512GB (UFS 3.1). Both have 12GB of RAM.
Unfortunately, no. The Galaxy Z Fold does not have a 3.5mm headphone slot.
Sorry to disappoint, but the answer, once again, is no. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 does not have a microSD card slot.
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be available in a dual-SIM avatar. However, one of the SIMs in the dual-SIM variant will be an eSIM, with the other being a traditional nano-SIM slot. It is not immediately clear if Samsung will persist with the same strategy in the Indian market.
The Z Fold 3 comes with not only traditional stereo speakers, but stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support for an immersive audio experience. The audio is tuned by AKG and supports 32-bit/384kHz output.
- Is there an in-display fingerprint scanner?
Unfortunately, there’s no in-display fingerprint scanner in the Galaxy Z Fold 3. However, the phone does have a side-mounted capacitive fingerprint scanner.
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 offers AI-based facial recognition.
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 ships with an integrated NFC chip. As with all premium Samsung devices, it also supports Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard-certified). Given that it is a full-fledged Android smartphone, you should also be able to use Google Pay and other online payment apps.
- What is the main camera setup on the Galaxy Z Fold 3?
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with a triple camera setup at the back and two additional cameras for selfies and video chats. All three cameras at the back are 12MP units. The primary camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, dual pixel autofocus, and OIS. The 12MP ultra-wide shooter comes with an f/2.2 aperture and 123-degree FoV, while the 12MP telephoto lens offers an f/2.4 aperture, PDAF, dual OIS, 2x optical zoom, and up to 10x digital zoom.
Yes, there is. The main foldable display comes with a camera that’s embedded under the display for selfies and video chats. On the front (at the outside), the main selfie shooter is a 10MP punch-hole unit with an f/2.2 aperture, while the under-display camera is a 4MP sensor and an f/1.8 aperture.
- How’s the image quality of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 under-display camera?
As per initial impressions, the images captured from the 4MP under-display camera of the Galaxy Z fold 3 are sub-par and not usable. Since this is a first-gen camera under the display, we can give it a pass, but Samsung could have included a punch-hole camera on the inside as well.
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s primary camera can shoot 4K videos at up to 60fps and 1080p videos at up to 240fps.
- Is there optical image stabilization (OIS) for the main sensor?
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 supports optical image stabilization. In fact, both the primary and telephoto cameras have OIS for blur-free pictures and videos.
The Z Fold 3 camera offers a myriad of shooting options, including portrait, night mode, night hyperlapse, and director’s view.
There’s no selfie flash on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but there is an LED flash at the back to assist the main triple-camera setup.
- Has the battery size increased over the Z Fold 2?
Disappointingly, it’s quite the opposite. The battery has actually decreased in capacity to 4,400mAh from the 4,500mAh unit in the Z Fold 2. It is a dual-cell Lithium Polymer unit that Samsung claims will “adjust its power for all-day battery life”.
- Does the Galaxy Z Fold 3 support fast charging?
Yeah, the Z Fold 3 supports 25W wired charging and up to 10W wireless charging. However, Samsung is not shipping a power adapter with the retail box. So keep a USB-C fast charger handy to take full advantage of the fast-charging speeds of the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Yes, the Z Fold 3 supports up to 10W wireless charging. Of course, you will have to buy your own wireless charging pad, so check out the best wireless charging mats you can buy for your Galaxy Z Fold 3. You can also use the back of the Z Fold 3 to reverse wireless charge other devices at up to 4.5W.
Does the Galaxy Z Fold 3 Offer S Pen Support?
Is there a built-in slot to store the S Pen on the Z Fold 3?
No, there’s no built-in slot to store the S Pen on the Z Fold 3. However, you can buy a special case that includes an S Pen slot. Check out the accessories section towards the end of this article for more on that.
No, the Z Fold 3 only supports two S Pen models because the foldable display’s unique digitizer requires special S Pens to prevent damage. The two compatible S Pens are the S Pen Pro and the S Pen Fold Edition.
Yes, there are many. Samsung says it has been working with Wacom for years on the S Pen to deliver unique and differentiated experiences to Fold users. The S Pen on the Z Fold 3 not only offers less latency and super precision, but it also comes with a finely tuned pen-tip structure. It helps deliver better drawing and writing experiences on the foldable screen. You can also use an S Pen to mark up or sign documents on the Z Fold 3.
- Does the Galaxy Z Fold 3 run the latest version of Android?
Yes, it does. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 runs Android 11 out-of-the-box with Samsung’s One UI 3.5 skin on top.
- Will the Z Fold 3 get timely updates?
As mentioned already, the phone runs the latest Android 11 with One UI 3.5 on top. With Samsung’s promise of three major Android updates for all its premium handsets, the Z Fold 3 should get Android 12, 13, and 14 updates as and when they release. Do note that the stable version of Android 12 is all set to launch next month, so it will be interesting to see when Samsung will release it for its all-new foldable smartphone.
Yes, it does. Thanks to the Snapdragon 888, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has the computing power of a mini PC and can transform it into a desktop using Samsung Dex. By connecting your Galaxy Z Fold 3 to an external monitor using a USB-C cable, you can start using it in a PC-like environment while your phone remains free for other uses.
As with all Samsung premium phones, the Z Fold 3 also comes with full Bixby integration. Given that it is a standard Android phone, it should also support Google Assistant out-of-the-box.
Samsung has ensured that you squeeze every last bit of utility out of the extra real estate. Not only is One UI optimized for the larger screen, Samsung has also tied up with leading app developers, like Google, Microsoft, Spotify, Netflix, etc., to ensure that many of their popular apps are also optimized for the unique form-factor.
News apps will also show more info on the screen than on regular smartphones, while YouTube will show more thumbnails without having to scroll. What’s more, you can even open two instances of the same app simultaneously on the Z Fold 3.
- Will there be limited-edition models of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 like last year?
Samsung has already revealed the limited-edition Thom Browne edition of its new Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone. In this avatar, it features an exclusive matte white finish with a shiny silver border. Two parallel lines in the Thom Browne’s trademark red and gray colors run along the perimeter.
- Are the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Buds 2 Compatible with the Z Fold 3?
Yes, they are. Both the Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Watch 4 are compatible with about all Android smartphones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Yes, it is! Samsung has also announced a host of first-party cases for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, including a Silicone Cover in Green, White, and Black, a Leather Flip Stand Cover in Green, Camel, and Black, a Leather Cover also in Green, Camel, and Black, an Aramid Cover in Black, and a Flip Cover with S Pen in Black. They start from $39.99 and you can buy them from the official Samsung website.
