Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review: Third Time's The Charm?

Galaxy Z Fold3 5G Camera Features, Shot Modes And Performance

The Galaxy Z Fold3 5G has five cameras in total: three on the rear, one on the cover screen, and one on the main display. Around the back, the three cameras have a fairly common lineage. All three have 12-megapixel sensors, but each has a different aperture, focal length, and pixel size. The standard and telephoto lenses have optical image stabilization, which is great when hands get shaky, especially during longer exposures. The telephoto lens zooms in to 2x compared to the standard wide angle. Meanwhile, the ultra-wide camera can grab a full 123 degrees for its field of view. We have examples of each taken from the same vantage point to illustrate the difference. 

All three photos below have only been resized. We performed no touch-up or cropping on these photos. They have been resized to account for varying pixel counts, and you can click on each photo to see a larger version. 


Each lens in the Galaxy Z Fold3 does a great job of capturing the early-morning light in the park next to an elementary school in our area. Each table and bench on these tables in the photos has a series of holes in the top, like a grate or fencing. That gets entirely lost in the tabletops when examining the full-sized telephoto image, but it's still visible on the benches. Meanwhile, each lens does a good job of capturing other details, like cracks in the pavement and the mulch in the playground. 

Each display has its own built-in selfie camera. The main display gets the short end of the stick with a relatively weak 4-megapixel sensor, but with the biggest pixels of them all to capture as much light as possible. This shooter actually lives under the main display, which means that the screen is one contiguous piece of Dynamic AMOLED pixels, but it's obvious up close where it sits. When the camera is on, the pixels turn off, so it's still a hole-punch while taking selfies. That makes it easier to see where the lens is pointing, too. The Z Fold3's cover display's 10-megapixel sensor did a much better job of taking selfies, however, and the difference is immediately obvious in our captures below. 


We can really see the differences in these photos taken with the two selfie cameras, even without clicking on them to see larger versions. The camera on the main display is just not great, and there's no salvaging that photo taken with the 4-megapixel sensor. On the other hand, the cover display's camera -- which we think people will be more likely to use when they just pull the phone out of their pockets -- does a great job of keeping detail and capturing the light. If any sensor had to be cut down, we think Samsung made the right choice with the main display. The biggest use for that will be video chats, so that may be a downside. 

In low light, the AI-assisted Night Mode does surprisingly well. We started out with a mostly dark room. The sun was just peeking over the horizon early in the morning, but the curtains in the room were drawn closed and no lights in the house were on. Then we took a photo of my trusty Paul Reed Smith CE24 Semi-hollow in the near-dark, and the results were incredible. We did have to keep the camera still for a few seconds while the shot came to life, so it might not work well on people or pets, but still life was pretty remarkable. 



Note the detail in the guitar. We couldn't even see that in the dark, as just a very little bit of light leaked in from the window behind it. Still, the Night Mode AI was able to lighten up the scene surprisingly well. The wood grain in the flame maple really pops, and that's a complete surprise. Samsung has done a great job with its automatic enhancement features for low lighting scenarios, and it really shows here. 


There are some interesting UI tricks up the Galaxy Z Fold3's sleeve. When the phone is open, we could toggle on a photo roll to see our captures right away on the left side of the main screen, while we could still see what the camera was pointing at on the right. There's a second option for using the cover screen for previews, which allows the phone to take selfies with any of the rear-facing cameras, too.

Lastly, there's Flex Mode which activates when the display is folded and the phone is sitting on its cover display. This allows anything to be an image stabilizer: a desk, the floor, or even a window sill. The preview window can be on either half of the main display this way, which could be handy depending on the angle. This is great for Hyperlapse mode, which takes a time-lapse video by capturing a single frame every few seconds. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G Review Conclusions

Samsung's original foldable phones were ambitious and novel ideas. Today, they're still pretty novel, if only because of their premium price points, unique features and the fact that they haven't gained a critical, mainstream following just yet. However, out of the gate, both the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 are apparently selling like hotcakes. We can see why, because the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is still pretty ambitious. The dream of having a small-ish device in our pockets that can unfold to be something that's essentially a small tablet, and therefore more usable for a variety of tasks, is a reality today. The question becomes whether buyers can live with the compromises that inevitably come with the territory.


The first consideration is cost. $1,799 ($1,599 currently on sale at Amazon) is a lot of cash for a smartphone, even a smartphone with top-of-the line specifications, two high-resolution displays, and all the software magic that goes into fully taking advantage of a convertible device like this. Traditional flagship phones that are closer to the $1,000 mark are still a very hard pill to swallow for a lot of buyers, but this device is in another league. Samsung's got a long way to go if the goal is to make foldable display technology the norm. Then again, this is just the third iteration for this form factor, and its essentially a new product category, so the company is moving in the right direction.

It's the next compromise that is more of a constant consideration: the crease in the display. It's a fact of life right now with foldable display tech, and it isn't a deal breaker, but we really don't like it, and don't think the mass market is going to jump onto this technology until this problem is mitigated. The primary input method with any smartphone these days is by touch and it just feels unusual. While we only got a few short weeks with the device, it's not something we ever got used to fully, though Samsung's new Galaxy Z Flip3 (full review) has a much less prominent crease. It's something we highly encourage prospective buyers to at least consider, and perhaps the best way to do that is to go into a retail store and experience the device first-hand.

The final compromise is the thickness. Folded up in a pocket, the Galaxy Z Fold3 is somewhat chunky. It's actually thicker than the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 convertible laptop that we reviewed recently. Samsung is going to have to come up with a way to thin out the device without making the battery life significantly worse in the process. Battery life was only so-so with the Fold3 as it is, so making the battery smaller is just not an option. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 - Now $1599 Unlocked @ Amazon

Performance-wise, the Galaxy Z Fold3 lands near the top of its class currently. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC with plenty of RAM and a whole lot of storage go a long way towards making Android 11 fly. The other part of that is the 120Hz displays on both the inside main display and the outside cover panel. Everything animates so smoothly in a way that makes an iPhone 12 Pro Max I had previously been using as a daily driver feel a little clunky by comparison, for example. It's obvious to Apple now with the iPhone 13 series, that high refresh rate displays are an appreciated upgrade for most consumers.

The Z Fold3's displays have great color reproduction, brightness, and saturation to boot. Samsung's Dynamic AMOLED panels are top of the line, and the end result is a vibrant, high-contrast experience that just pops. An HDR10 certification and infinite, inky-dark black and rich colors only the best OLED technology can produce are gorgeous anywhere we see them.

So, the question that remains is, should you buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G? The answer is "maybe." If you have the budget, can see past its current inherent shortcomings and will make use of its massive screen real estate. One thing is certain -- getting a glimpse of the foldable future today is pretty tempting. It's going to be interesting to watch this space in the coming years. We think foldable phones will be something mainstream consumers will want, but we don't think we're at that point just yet. If you just can't wait, though, this is the place to start, and for that reason the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is HotHardware Approved.