...
🔍

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

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is arguably the most well-known foldable on the market. But is it any good? Let’s find out by checking out all the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 reviews…


Foldable phones. They were talked about for years but now that they’re here most people tend to give them a wide berth. Samsung has been beavering away at the concept for a few years now; it now has a couple of distinct, foldable phones under its belt. And its current foldable flagship is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. But is it worth the money?

If foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 were priced the same as normal phones, you’d probably see a lot more of them in the wild. But this, of course, is not the case; in fact, they’re still way too expensive for 99.9% of people, myself included. Samsung has been working on getting its prices down but even now its foldable phones, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, are just too pricey for mass market adoption.

This means phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 are destined to be niche devices, used by early adopters, those with money to burn, and people that really love their tech. I live in London and, to the best of my knowledge, I have never seen a foldable phone in use out on the streets. The only place I have ever seen one is at launch events and expos like MWC and CES. And even then, they were outnumbered by normal phones 100 to 1.

But is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 different? Is it actually worth your time and money in 2022 and beyond? Let’s first take a look at its specs, then we’ll have a look and see what reviewers made of the phone, and then I’ll add in my own analysis after that in order to help you understand whether or not the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is worth buying over something more traditional (and cheaper) like the Galaxy S22 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Specs

  • Dimensions: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm open; 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4 mm folded
  • Screen Size: 7.6in open; 6.2in folded
  • Screen Type: Super AMOLED 2268 x 832 pixels 120Hz
  • CPU: Snapdragon 888
  • RAM: 12GB
  • Storage: 256GB
  • Camera (Rear): 12MP (wide) + 12MP (telephoto) + 12MP (Ultrawide)
  • Battery Size: 4400mAh
  • SD Support: No
  • 5G: Yes
  • Android Version: Android 12
  • Number of Android Updates: 3 + 4 Security Updates
  • IP Rating: IP68
  • Colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Green, Phantom Silver

Do Its Specs Hold Up In 2022?

As you can see, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is packed to the hilt with plenty of hardcore specs. You have the Snapdragon 888 CPU which was the company’s 2021 flagship CPU, now replaced by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and – for the first time on a foldable Samsung phone – a proper IP68 water and dust rating.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 ReviewsPin

With respect to performance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a beast – just like the Galaxy S21 Ultra and its successor model, the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a 2021 phone, however, so it is running slightly older hardware than the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is due to launch in 2022, so expect a raft of updates with this version, including things like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 launched with Android 11 but now runs Android 12. The phone will get three major Android updates, taking it to Android 14, as well as four years’ worth of security updates. This means, should you buy this phone today, you’ll still be getting Android updates in 2024. And by that point, you will probably have paid the phone off, so you can think about updating it for a newer model.

Even from the perspective of 2022, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 still holds up very well. It has more than enough power under the hood, a decent camera system, though not quite as good as the S22’s, and more memory than most laptops. This means, from a performance perspective, the phone is still very much top of the pile, although if you want the absolute bleeding-edge you’re going to have to either wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 or get the Galaxy S22 Ultra instead.

That’s an overview of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3’s specs, let’s now take a look at some Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 reviews to see what the general consensus is about the phone, its performance, and whether or not it is worth buying in 2022…

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Reviews

80

Tom’s Guide

90

TechRadar

80

TechAdvisor

85

Android Authority

100

Guardian

80

Expert Reviews

Is The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Worth It?

After three generations and plenty of mistakes, Samsung has really hit its stride with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. The design issues have been worked out, the software is now fully optimized for its display, and the phone now even has an official IP rating for water and dust resistance.

Add in things like a decent camera, blazingly hot specs, and a gorgeous Super AMOLED display and it is easy to see why this foldable phone is the foldable phone that most people that buy foldable phones tend to buy. Samsung has finally nailed the concept and, for all intents and purposes, is now the company to beat in the foldable market.

The only potential caveat about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, however, is that it will soon be replaced by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. If you’re going to be spending MEGA bucks on a foldable phone, you might as well outhold another month or two and wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – it will have a more powerful CPU, a more refined design, and a heavily updated camera.

If you simply cannot wait until then, sure, grab yourself a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 – the phone will remain competitive for years to come. Plus, you can now pick one up direct from Samsung with 0% APR finance plans which means you can spread the cost over a number of years which makes its price way more palatable. I’d still probably prefer to use a Galaxy S22 Ultra myself but that’s just me. If you want a slice of the future, this phone is currently the best way to do it…

And check out Samsung Galaxy S23 Battery: What You Need To Know! And Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 RAM – Amount & Type

Richard Goodwin

Richard Goodwin has been working as a tech journalist for over 10 years. He has written for Den of Geek, Fortean Times, IT PRO, PC Pro, ALPHR, and many other technology sites. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.

Subscribe
Notify of
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
grant
11 months ago

Just a toy for the rich, in spite of the mobilespecs, in practice it is nonsense, big, heavy, screen too small when folded, when unfolded too big, but for video content is of course a big plus, but then again, paying so much money just to open and watch YouTube is nonsense))

Keep Reading

Explore more →
iPhone SE 4 Release Date
Music Will Sound Better On Pixel 7 – Here’s Why…
Scroll to Top