Samsung‘s next flagship foldable launch is hurtling towards us. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be the third iteration of the firm’s bendy series, and judging by rumors, it’s shaping up to be the most intriguing entry yet.
Below, you’ll find a comprehensive roundup of the credible leaks, rumors, and news surrounding the Galaxy Z Fold 3 so far. Be sure to bookmark this article and check back frequently to ensure you don’t miss any updates.
See also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2: The complete buyer’s guide
Name and release date
We’ve had the Samsung Galaxy Fold, and more recently, the jump to the Galaxy Z Fold moniker. So is Samsung set to shake up its foldable line name yet again? We don’t think so, and there’s no evidence suggesting that it will.
Samsung seems entirely comfortable with its current foldable naming scheme, so we don’t expect it to deviate from the Galaxy Z Fold moniker. Furthermore, considering the device would be the third iteration of its large foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 title also seems set in stone. Notably, a leaked press render from tipster Evan Blass seemingly confirms this title, too.
See also: The best foldable phones you can buy
As for the foldable’s release date, it remains a big mystery surrounding the device. Conflicting rumors have cited dates from June all the way through to September for the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s debut. Korean publication The Elec previously stated a July launch is likely. However, another rumor suggests Samsung may host a smartphone launch event on August 3.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: Design
Our first look at the foldable came in May, and it didn’t bring huge surprises. The alleged promotional renders, stemming from a Twitter tipster, suggested the foldable would still open like a book and adopt similar stylings to the Galaxy Z Fold 2. There are some key differences, though.
The images hint at S Pen compatibility, a slimmer triple rear camera design, and the inclusion of an under-display camera. This would make it Samsung’s first under-display camera phone, but the second non-Note smartphone line to support the S Pen.
Crisper images of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 broke cover on June 24 courtesy of tipster Evan Blass. The shot below appears to be a press render and corroborated some details of the above leak.
The render includes an S Pen, suggesting the foldable may not just support the stylus but ship with it. This also makes sense considering Samsung isn’t launching a Note device this year. While this effectively makes the Z Fold 3 this year’s Note replacement, it’s unclear if there will be a slot to store it in the foldable. Early rumors suggest this may not be possible.
We can’t verify this as the render doesn’t showcase the phone’s bottom edges. The cover is also hidden from view. We do expect Samsung to include the cover display on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, though.
Specs and features
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 recently passed through the FCC, revealing a few key feature additions. This listing confirmed the existence of S Pen support, UWB support, NFC, sub-6GHz and mmWave connectivity, and reverse charging at up to 9W. Interestingly, MST technology is also present, which is a boon for Samsung Pay users.
The FCC also confirmed the inclusion of a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC, likely the Snapdragon 888. We also know from previous listings that the charger certified for the phone will support 25W charging.
Rumors in April pointed to a possible IP rating for the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Although we don’t think it would sport an IP68 rating — the current benchmark for flagships — any IP rating would inspire confidence in the phone’s durability.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: Price and availability
Samsung hasn’t dramatically upped the price of its flagships in 2021, so we don’t believe the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will see a huge price spike. Its predecessor debuted at $1,999, a similar price to the original Galaxy Fold.
Samsung doesn’t have much foldable competition, so it doesn’t have to consider the Galaxy Z Fold 3 rival’s pricing. However, considering the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is meant to entice Galaxy Note users to upgrade, a slight price decrease could definitely help.
It’s also possible Samsung will renew its trade-in program for those wanting to switch out a Galaxy Fold or Galaxy Z Fold 2 for the new model.
Related: Samsung Galaxy Note series: A history of innovation
As for availability, expect the device to be available worldwide soon after its debut. It’s unclear how the global chipset shortage will impact the pace of the rollout, though.
Users in China may receive a custom Galaxy Z Fold 3 rebranded as the Galaxy W22 5G, but the device may only debut in November.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: What we want to see
Those are all the rumors we know about so far, but we still have our own wishlist of what we’d like to see Samsung include with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Here’s what we think Samsung should add to its upcoming foldable phone.
A tougher main screen
Samsung already introduced Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) to the Galaxy Z Fold 2, enabling better durability even though you still technically had a plastic layer above it. We’d love to see the manufacturer take this a step further and introduce an even tougher main display.
We’re not quite sure how Samsung could accomplish this, but we already know that companies like Corning are working on Gorilla Glass for foldable phones. Either way, a foldable screen that can’t be damaged by a fingernail would be great. A tougher screen would also enable our next entry on this Galaxy Z Fold 3 wishlist…
S Pen support
Yes, S Pen support seems like a no-brainer for a foldable phone like the Galaxy Fold range. But the aforementioned toughness issues mean that poking this display with an S Pen will damage the panel.
According to the leaked images earlier in this article, it looks like S Pen support is all but confirmed.
A lighter design
One of our main complaints about the Galaxy Z Fold 2 was that it was a bulky, heavy device. At almost 300g, this is significantly heavier than even the largest, chunkiest phones on the market like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, and Asus ROG Phone 5. It’s understandable given the engineering complexity and presence of two screens, but it’s still very heavy.
We’d like to see Samsung shave some weight off the Galaxy Z Fold 3. We wouldn’t be opposed to the company making the phone a little thinner either, although not at the expense of other specs or durability.
Water resistance of some kind
Foldable phones are complex machines compared to traditional phones, and this makes water/splash resistance an exceptionally stiff challenge. But, if it’s possible in any way, we’d like to see Samsung make this a reality with the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
More reading: The best waterproof phones you can buy
We’re not expecting an IP67 or IP68 design here, but we’d even be happy with a splash-resistant design instead. In fact, we’ve previously seen the Motorola Razr 5G bring a water-repellent coating to the table, so some measure of protection is clearly possible.
A cheaper price (or a cheaper variant)
One of the biggest downsides of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is its $2,000 price tag. This isn’t the priciest foldable phone around, but it could definitely be cheaper. So we’d like to see Samsung deliver a cheaper price tag.
Alternatively, a cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 3 variant would be a great option too. The company could theoretically make compromises to areas like RAM (from 12GB to 8GB), cameras (using cheaper sensors or cutting the telephoto lens), display (using older Gorilla Glass on the traditional screen), and design (using plastic backs instead of glass) in order to reach a much lower price tag.
High refresh rate on both screens
High refresh rate displays are increasingly common across the industry, with even budget phones offering 90Hz or 120Hz screens these days. This tech allows for smoother scrolling and smoother animations.
Related: What are high refresh rates? Everything you need to know
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 offered a 120Hz main screen but settled for a standard 60Hz external smartphone display. It was a rather weird move, but Samsung could rectify this by offering a 120Hz smartphone screen in the new Galaxy Fold.
That’s what we want to see from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. What about you? Let us know by voting in our poll below or leaving a comment.
