Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs. Z Fold 2: Hands On Impressions! By Andru Edwards

- Samsung just announced its new set of foldable smartphones for 2021 in the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3. And I was able to spend some time with them earlier this week. Now, I already made a video detailing why I was wrong about the Z Flip 3. And I'll leave a link to that one down in the description right below the Like button. But in this video, we've got to talk about the flagship, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. A lot of people are wondering what the differences are when compared to last year's Z Fold 2.

How much of a difference is there, really? Tech Squad, let's get into it. Now, going back to the beginning, the original Samsung Galaxy Fold before they added in the Z, felt very much like a beta project. I remembered using it and thinking it was such a cool device, but also one that I would accidentally destroy just by holding it the wrong way. Then came the Z Fold 2 which made several improvements over the original. Not the least of which was an outer display that wasn't an afterthought.

But that brings us to 2021, the year where Samsung decided that it would quietly put the Galaxy Note series to bed in favor of something new. And of course, that something new is the Galaxy Z Fold 3, a foldable smartphone that no longer feels like an experiment. The phone feels solid, offering IPX8 water resistance for the first time, that means it can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at up to 1.5 meters depth and survive. So it'll easily withstand your normal splashes and spills. Of course, I'll be putting this through its paces in the full review, so be sure to hit the Subscribe button so you don't miss it.

Now, spec for spec, the Z Fold 3 is less wide, less tall, and thinner when compared to the Z Fold 2. And when opened, it's much thinner at 6.4 millimeters compared to the Z Fold 2's 6.9 millimeters. The Z Fold 3 is also lighter at 271 grams despite using Samsung's strongest aluminum that's ever used in a smartphone. These are all good things. The Z Fold 3 is easier to hold than previous models due to the size and weight, and coupled with the advances in built quality, it no longer feels like a device that needs to be handled with extreme care.

Also, despite the smaller dimensions, both the cover display and internal display are identical in size to what we saw on last year's model. That's 6.2 inches on the outside and 7.6 inches on the inside. What's changed? The cover display is an HD Plus Dynamic AMOLED 2268 x 832 resolution with a 120 Hertz adaptive refresh rate. While the main display is an Infinity Flex QXGA+ 2208 x 1768 resolution, also Dynamic AMOLED with adaptive 120 Hertz. The protective film on the inner display makes it 80% more durable than last year.

So again, we're seeing a much more durable device here. Another first that you'll find on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is Samsung's first under display camera. Now this one I'm less excited about, but this is totally a Samsung move. This is a feature that adds cool factor, but actually results in a worse experience as this is a four-megapixel camera as compared to the 10-megapixel camera that we had last year. Now, a couple of minutes ago, I mentioned that Samsung has ended the Galaxy Note line, at least for this year.

However, if you're a fan of the S Pen on your Samsung devices, then this year, the Z Fold 3 is for you. Thanks to that stronger display, you're now able to use the S Pen. Something you couldn't do on the Galaxy Fold or the Z Fold 2. Even more interesting, the Z Fold 3 has two S Pen options. There's the S Pen Pro, which supports air actions and also works with other devices like the Note 20 and Galaxy Tab.

And there's also the S Pen Fold Edition, which is made specifically for the Z Fold 3 without any Bluetooth connectivity. Current S Pens have retractable tips which makes them extra gentle on the display. And to be clear, the S Pen Pro and the S Pen Fold Edition are the only two that will work on the Z Fold 3. Running out the hardware, the Z Fold 3 has the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip with 12 gigabytes of RAM and up to 512 gigs of storage. Borrowing the older chip on the Z Fold 2, storage and RAM options remain the same.

The cover display's camera is the same at 10 megapixels, and the triple camera set up on back is also identical to what we saw on the Z Fold 2. You've got stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and a 4,400 milliamp hour battery powering it all. The device supports 25-watt fast charging, 10-watt fast wireless charging, and it can charge other devices inductively at 4.5 watts. And of course, charging adapter is sold separately. Now, despite all the aforementioned improvements, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 starts at 1,799.

That's expensive, but it's also $200 less than last year's model. You can get it on August 27th in Phantom Black, Phantom Green, or Phantom Silver. Not as flashy as last year's Mystic Bronze, but they do look good. As I move into the unboxing and review videos for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, let me know what questions you have down in the comments below. Thanks for watching as always, guys.

I appreciate your support. I'm Andru Edwards, and I will catch you in the next video.

Source : Andru Edwards