Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Reviews: Worth Buying In 2022?

With the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung retains the title of best foldable phone, and that’s not just because there’s really no competition right now. You get a more durable design, improved multitasking and better displays for a little less money than last time around.

The under-display camera is a step forward in terms of design, letting you see more of the screen when not in use. But you’ll need to trade off some image quality from this 4MP shooter.

Samsung also deserves credit for working with developers to optimize more apps for foldables. However, while I appreciate the S Pen support, Samsung should have included the stylus for $1,799. Plus, the battery life could be better and the overall design slimmer.

Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a winner, but it’s only for those users who are willing to pay a premium for a phone that can double as a tablet.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the first foldable phone that we recommend to people who would normally call themselves ‘early adopters’, yet held off on buying last year’s Z Fold 2 for good reason.

Those fence-sitters will be swayed by the new Z Fold 3’s S Pen support, greater durability, and water resistance in an otherwise familiar-looking foldable design with unchanged cameras.

It’s still mighty expensive, and therefore not for the average consumer, but it starts at a slightly lower price than its predecessors, making it ideal for those who’ve been looking to buy into the form factor but have been waiting on the sidelines.

There are a host of refinements that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 lords over its predecessor; with a cleaner, hardier design that somehow integrates water resistance, an expanded feature set (including S Pen support) and a lower starting price.

While processing, gaming and camera performance may not be industry-leading, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 focuses on making the foldable concept more attainable without presenting any real sacrifices in any particular area.

What the Fold 3 does highlight within this burgeoning product category, however, is that building experiences for folding form factors is hard and right now, Samsung is the principal driving force behind that getting any easier.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 remains one of the most interesting and innovative devices in the market in 2022, and the phone is a testament to how far Samsung has come since the launch of the original Galaxy Fold back in 2019.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 overcomes many of the barriers most foldable phones have yet to fix, but it still suffers from the fundamental design flaws of the phone-tablet hybrid form factor. The limited number of competitors are certainly getting stronger, but a lack of global availability makes them a non-starter.

If there was one word to describe the experience of using a Z Fold 3 from launch until today, it would be consistent. Whether it’s software, performance, battery, or camera, regardless of where this device falls short, the experience has remained consistent and reliable since day one.

Not many devices can match that, especially not ones that are this innovative. Despite its shortcomings, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has delivered on an experience that just lacked a bit of polish, but never once sacrificed usability or reliability.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a genuine technological marvel from Samsung.

The South Korean firm has improved almost everything with its third-generation folding tablet-phone hybrid. It is faster, smoother, has much improved software, better cameras, a more reliable fingerprint scanner and is £200 cheaper – although still very expensive.

Water resistance is a big step forward for durability. The technology behind it feels more mature while still being the most exciting cutting-edge device available. Stylus support is an added bonus that won’t be for everyone, but for Galaxy Note fans this is the powerhouse replacement for you.

There’s still a crease in the screen and the display remains soft and must be treated with more care. But the biggest issue for the Fold 3 is that it is an on-the-go device, at a time when many of us are stuck at home – a tablet that fits in your pocket is far more useful when you’re out of the house, at work, on the commute or sharing videos with friends. At home, there is usually a bigger and better display within arm’s reach.

Clearly, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G is a phone that’s overflowing with positives. Not only is it something to admire, but it’s immediately obvious that Samsung has taken on feedback from previous versions, and it’s been rewarded with one of the most well-rounded foldables we’ve seen to date.

As such, if you’re convinced that the folding form factor is the way smartphones are inevitably headed, and you want to get in on the action before anyone else, then there’s no doubt that this is the phone to get.

The big question, however, is whether Samsung has done enough to get more of these in the pockets of the non-enthusiast, average consumer. Despite the slight reduction, the starting price is still well out of reach for most people, so those of us that aren’t blessed with bulging wallets will have to make do with regular, non-foldy smartphones for at least a little while longer.