Since its inception, the Galaxy Z Fold series has brought innovation in the smartphone world. By bringing folding screen technology, the Galaxy Z Fold brings new sensations and experiences to its users.
It doesn't feel like the Galaxy Z Fold series has now arrived until the third generation, namely the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Samsung continues to make improvements. After it was officially launched, we tried the toughness of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 which is said to be tougher than the previous series.
The following is a review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3:
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 unit that we use is Phantom Black. However, for information, Samsung also offers two other color variants namely Phantom Green and Phantom Silver on the market.
The solid black color covers the hinges, frame, back cover, and bezel of the cellphone screen. The display hinges and screen bezels are made more glossy, while the frame and back cover look more matte.
The dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 are 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm when opened, and 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4-16 mm when folded. When you first hold it, the phone feels solid. The material that Samsung uses on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 feels solid.
Its weight is indeed heavier than smart phones in general, even though Samsung has actually reduced the weight of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to 271 grams. Previously, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 weighed 282 grams. Although the numbers are slightly adrift, in reality it is quite impactful. When folded, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 feels more compact and comfortable in the hand.
Because this phone can be folded it will stand out when placed in a trouser pocket. While in the shirt pocket feels heavier. We also don't recommend storing it in a shirt pocket because it is prone to falling when bending over, and less comfortable when carried.
The secret of the folding mechanism of the Galaxy Z Fold3 is because it has a hinge in the middle. Its presence will only be seen when the phone is folded. Meanwhile, when the phone is open, it will be covered by the body frame. On the hinge is also emblazoned with the Samsung logo. The surface is made glossy but does not cause many fingerprints. The glossy impression in this section makes it look luxurious.
Samsung only includes two functional buttons which are located on the right side. Its position is slightly above with a vertical arrangement. The top button is the volume control, and the second is the power button as well as the fingerprint. At first glance you'll only see the volume buttons as the power button is tucked away a bit deeper.
Then there is also a SIM card slot on the left side. When folded, the position will be next to the power and volume buttons. Samsung has also included two audio speakers on top and bottom. While the USB type-c port hole is under the right zone.
While the back will only see a circle of three main cameras and one flash. Its position is lined up vertically and made more prominent from the back cover. A design like this makes the back of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 appear more fierce.
Screen and Interface
Samsung includes two different screens in the Galaxy Fold series. The screen cover or front screen has a size of 6.2 inches using a 2X Dynamic AMOLED panel (832 x 2268). The main screen or main screen has a larger size, namely 7.6 inches Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2208 x 1768). Both screens already support a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The screen brightness reaches 1,200 nits and supports HDR 10+ so that the images displayed will be brighter and clearer. To be more sturdy and tough, Samsung also coated it with Gorilla Glass Victus.
In the interface, Samsung still relies on One UI with a typical rounded box icon in version 3.1.1. The icons appear in bright colors. The latest features such as dark mode, navigation button settings, to connecting to the car via Android Auto are available. In addition, this phone can also connect to Windows and Samsung DeX, so when it comes to features, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has more.
Because this phone has two screens, the operation is different. The front screen has the Samsung Always On feature. From this screen, all notifications can be seen including the date and time even if the screen is locked.
For operation, it is not much different from cellphones in general. It's just that, because the screen is elongated, it gives a more concise impression. This is because the reach of the finger on the screen becomes narrower. That way the thumb can browse to all the applications in it. Just keep in mind, because this phone is folded, it's a bit heavy.
The front screen can also be used to play games and watch movies. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 even has a fun way to watch it by opening its main screen 45 degrees. The phone looks like a laptop. You can watch YouTube from the home screen or the main screen.
Meanwhile, the main screen can be accessed by unfolding the phone. To open it requires the help of two hands by stretching the two frames. Once open, the screen will be more spacious and the phone turns like a tablet. The center of the screen is still visible creases, but this effect is not too disturbing to the visual image.
Thanks to a wider screen, it is visually more satisfied. This makes watching movies, browsing, reading, viewing photos, playing social media, to chatting, so it's easier to stare at the screen.
Not only that, because it supports a 120 Hz refresh rate, scrolling on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 feels smoother. The visual quality is also quite slick because it is able to display sharp colors and details.
Due to the jumbo size, the main screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a different operation. It takes two hands to use it. One hand to support, while the other hand to reach the various menus in it.
If the settings menu (Settings) on the front screen only relies on one bar, then on the main screen it has two menu bars. One bar on the right is used for the main menu, while the left bar is for sub-menus.
Samsung also provides different keyboard modes to make it easier for users to type. There is a choice of QWERTY mode which is arranged like a laptop keyboard, there is also a separate arrangement on each side so that the thumb can easily reach it. Samsung even provides a more fun method, namely handwriting.
Multitasking
Multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is easy. The ability to multitask on this phone is already a selling point. Galaxy Z Fold 3 is able to open three menu tabs at once from different applications.
For example one menu bar is used to open e-mail, the other one is used to open YouTube. While the last bar for browsing. The position of the application can be changed as desired.
To make it easier to change applications, Samsung has included a taskbar on the edge of the screen. By slightly sliding the white bar at the edge of the screen, other applications will appear. To open multiple apps, drag or drop the selected app and drop it to the center of the screen.
Multitasking on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is also made easy with S-Pen support. Writing notes while making video calls to checking to-do lists while reading emails can be done without going back and forth to open the application. There is also a handwriting to text conversion feature automatically.
Another interesting feature, applications that are opened on the main screen can move to the front screen when folded. Conversely, applications that are opened on the home screen can move to the main screen when the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is opened.
Applications opened on the home screen will move when the main screen is opened about 80 degrees. While applications that are opened on the main screen will move to the front screen when the screen is completely folded.
This ability can be activated via the Display menu > Continue apps on cover screen. You can choose which applications you want to display by sliding the toggle to blue. Even so, not all applications can support this operation.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 can also be connected to Samsung DeX as the 'brain' of the computer. The phone can be connected to a TV or monitor wirelessly and with an HDMI cable. By connecting Samsung DeX, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 can transfer files and run applications on it via a TV or monitor.
Audio
In terms of entertainment, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 not only gives a sense of visual satisfaction but also audio. With the support of Dolby Atmos, the two speakers are capable of spewing loud, clear, and bass-free sound.
His voice boomed at maximum volume but did not break the quality. Its bass and treble instruments dominate, making it suitable for all musical genres.
With maximum volume when used to watch movies and play songs, no sound can be heard.
Camera
In the photography and video sector, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has 5 camera modules. Three cameras on the back 12MP Wide, 12MP Ultra wide, and 12MP Telephoto, one on the 4MP main screen, and 10MP on the front screen.
Overall the quality of the main camera is fairly good. The lighting is abundant and the colors of the objects stand out. The details of the object are clearly visible. Photo quality when shooting in the day and night in our opinion is equally good.
It's different with the front camera. Because there is a difference in the resolution of the lens on the camera on the front and main screens, the results are different. The photo quality on the front screen camera is noticeably better. While the camera on the main screen that relies on a 4MP resolution is less than satisfactory.
The response of the two cameras is also different. The camera on the main screen has a slight delay of about 2 seconds when the shutter button is pressed. While the camera on the front screen is more responsive and can instantly take pictures. Here are the results of the camera.
toughness
Samsung made the Galaxy Z Fold 3 even more resilient with its water resistance. Thanks to IPX8 certification, this phone can dive as deep as 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.
We even tried to dip it into the water for a while. Once removed, the phone is still on and operating normally.
To keep the phone protected when it gets wet, Samsung has reduced the gap between the body and the hinge to make it as tight as possible. The electronic components are also given a rubber coating so that water does not seep inside. While the hinges are given an anti-rust coating to protect them from corrosion.
Not only that, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 also feels stronger than its predecessor. Opening the lid of the main screen is even better than the Galaxy Z Fold 2. All of this eliminates the feeling of 'fear' when using a folding screen phone. Samsung claims the hinge can withstand up to 200 thousand folds.
Performance
Performance Galaxy Z Fold 3 is supported by Snapdragon 888 Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680) and combined with GPU Adreno 660. The unit we use is the 12GB RAM version and ROM 256GB.
There are no significant obstacles when using this phone for daily activities such as playing social media, browsing, watching, and even opening three applications simultaneously. Scrolling, and switching between applications feels smooth. Even moving applications from the main screen to the home screen and vice versa, has a fast response.
Likewise when used to play games on both screens. It's just that on the front screen, the camera module looks like a black circle that has not been disguised. While on the main screen, the selfie camera circle is integrated with the screen.
With such a large main screen, we needed to adapt when playing games. Its slightly square shape also makes us a little uncomfortable holding it. It takes adaptation to get used to it.
There are two game applications that we use to test the ability of the Galaxy z Fold 3, namely Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and and Genshin Impact.
This phone is able to run Mobile Legends: Bang-Bang in ultra graphics mode smoothly. There is no lag, or broken during playing. The same thing was experienced when playing Genshin Impact. When used for parties, running, and scrolling the camera in all directions, the movement of characters and objects in the game feels smooth.
Visually, the phone is able to spoil the eyes when playing games. However, playing games on the highest graphics mode makes the phone heat up quickly.
While the battery life can be used all day. Samsung pinned a 4,400 mAh battery capacity. Because the purchase package does not include a charger head, we also use a different brand of charger. The phone is also fully charged from 0-100% in about 3.5 hours.
Samsung has succeeded in making the Galaxy Z Fold 3 more resilient through its body material and water resistance features. The IPX8 certification on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 makes this phone return to the identity of Samsung's luxury phones that are usually presented in the Galaxy S and Note series.
However, there is still homework to make it perfect, namely the camera. Apart from that, we are quite satisfied with its multitasking capabilities and performance.
We also recommend the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 for users who have high mobility and a lot of work. Moreover, deadlines are often demanded which require a lot of checking files. In addition, this phone is also fun for entertainment such as playing games, watching Netflix and YouTube.
