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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 combines a tablet, a smartphone and a laptop. Its multitasking knows no bounds, because it is arranged in such a way that you can draw, paint, edit… Read more about it in the review.

The appearance of a 2-in-1 smartphone

The mobile phone has 2 modes — smartphone (folded) and tablet (folded). In narrow mobile phone mode, its dimensions are 158.2×67.1×14.4-16 mm. Although it turns out to be quite “fat”, it fits in a pocket. In tablet mode, it becomes a little thinner, becoming similar in thickness to ordinary phones – 158.2×128.1×6.4 mm.

The weight is solid — 271 g. But calling the device heavy is a stretch, because the smartphone is twice as light as the Apple iPad Air 10.9 tablet.

The phone is available in black, silver and green colors. The lid is matte and looks classy. The only glossy element is the cap covering the hinge. It collects dust.

The fingerprint scanner is built into the power button on the side. A convenient solution is that you can unlock your mobile phone without even looking at it. Despite its modest size, it works quickly and without errors.

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Features of the Fold 3 display

The display is elongated and narrow, with an aspect ratio of 25:9. Those with thick fingers will have to turn on landscape orientation for correspondence or open as a tablet. Others will not feel the difference – the control is comfortable.

The internal flexible Dynamic display is 7.6 inches and has a resolution of 1768×2208. It is square. It is convenient to edit photos and write notes. The display refresh rate is 120 Hz. All animations stream smoothly without lag.

The mobile is covered with a protective film. The manufacturer does not recommend removing it, as it is part of the monitor. After removing the “film”, the phone may stop responding to pressing or even turn off the screen.

The external Dynamic AMOLED screen has a diagonal of 6.2 inches with a resolution of 2268×862. The size is comfortable – viewing social networks and texting is convenient. True, content in FullHD will have to be watched on a tablet screen, since the resolution of the external display is slightly higher than classic HD. The phone is protected by Gorilla Glass. If the display falls down, it will not break. The defense will take the brunt of it.

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Memory: everything will fit

The phone is sold in 2 configurations:

• 12 GB RAM and 256 GB ROM.
• 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.

There is no place for a flash drive, you need to be ready to connect to the cloud.

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Software and performance of Samsung Galaxy Fold 3: flagship iron in a thin case

Z Fold 3 from Samsung’s “flexible” phones. Runs nimbly thanks to running on Snapdragon 888. It has 8 cores and is an improved variant of ARM. The frequency varies from 1.8 to 2.84 GHz – thanks to this, the mobile phone consumes little energy. And the AI ​​subsystem AI Engine helps him in this. Artificial intelligence analyzes the tasks that are launched and makes sure that the smartphone does not overheat even under heavy loads.

The phone is based on Android 11, the shell is proprietary. All interface elements are familiar to Samsung users. It connects with the S Pen stylus, you can take notes by hand and create illustrations. The handle is not included in the package, you will have to buy it separately.

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Autonomy: withstands everything

The battery capacity is solid — 4400 mAh. The phone works for 14-17 hours without recharging, if you actively watch videos in FullHD. With a standard load (calls, social networks), it is enough for 1.5 days of work.

The speed of filling the battery is good: 50% is filled in half an hour, 80% of the battery after 54 minutes. This was made possible by support for fast charging of 25 W via cable and 11 W “over the air”.

Galaxy Fold 3 cameras: the king of selfies

Due to the unusual design, the phone has two front cameras: 10 MP (megapixel) on the outside, and 4 MP on the inside. On the outside, the camera is mounted in a “bagel”. This makes the front module almost invisible. Except that only if you look closely.

Galaxy Z Fold 3 does not require a tripod. It is enough to put the mobile phone in a semi-open position (like a laptop) and turn on the front speaker. You can chat or broadcast from anywhere — it won’t fall, the smartphone is in this position like a tripod.

The main camera unit has 3 full-fledged lenses with good matrices:

• Main — 12 MP, light sensitivity 1.8, Dual Pixel PDAF.
• Telephoto — 12 MP, aperture 2.4, double optical zoom.
• Solid angle — 12 MP, light sensitivity 2.2, shooting angle 123°.

Thanks to the unusual design of the phone, the user can take a selfie with the rear camera, and the viewfinder will show the content on the external auxiliary screen, which will be right in front of the eyes.

The interface for working with the camera is the same as in other Samsung flagships: the possibility of RAW filming (when you can correct the brightness and exposure in the photo), night mode, blurring the background, advanced manual settings, etc.

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Fold 3 interfaces

The mobile phone has 2 slots for nano-SIM cards. You cannot insert a micro SD flash drive there, the phone does not support memory expansion. The mobile phone also has 5G support. However, it can be tested only abroad so far. It is planned to launch a new generation communication in Ukraine no earlier than July 2022.

Speed ​​of ordinary LTE Internet up to 3 gigabits per second and support of a huge number of bands. Catches everywhere – even in the center of the metropolis, even in the forest.

All popular wireless interfaces are also here.

1. NFC (there is Samsung Pay and Google Pay)
   Contactless payment in a convenient way.
2. Bluetooth version 5.2
   The ability to connect to devices while being 200 meters away from them, high data transfer speed, the ability to connect to several devices at the same time and save battery even during energy-consuming processes.
3. Wi-Fi of the 6th generation
   The speed is enough to stream in 4K and 8K quality. You can control TVs, lamps, smart kettles, refrigerators and other household appliances with almost no delay.
4. Satellite navigation — supports popular systems
   Finds the location of the device quickly and accurately. On the street and in the private sector, the error is several meters, in densely populated areas it is slightly more.

There is only one physical port – USB-C. This is the most popular modern connector, which phones are gradually switching to, so finding a good charger or wired headphones will not be difficult.

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Special features and capabilities

The phone has IPX8 protection. He is not afraid of splashes and drops, he can withstand up to 1 meter of immersion in fresh water. But he is afraid of dust. So, when entering a dusty room, it is better to fold the mobile phone. Around the perimeter, the case is reinforced with a frame made of reinforced aluminum, it partially protects against ubiquitous dust particles.

In “multi-window” mode, applications are displayed on the screen in 2 columns (the order of placement can be adjusted yourself). Admittedly, it’s mostly only available with Samsung’s native apps. But even so, the user receives many work scenarios: on one screen you can write notes, on the other you can calculate on a calculator, etc.

Fans of the semi-bent “laptop” mode will appreciate the fact that in this mode the phone can run almost any programs. It is enough to enter the desired program through the Labs experimental settings menu. Previously, such a feature was available only for native applications.

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Pros and cons of Samsung Galaxy Fold

This phone easily copes with tasks of any complexity. You can write, make sketches, edit videos on it. Four features add value to a smartphone.

• Status and image
  The Galaxy Fold line introduces diversity with a new foldable form factor. It is still a novelty, so the mobile, folded like a book, shows the status of the owner.
• Working with a stylus
  Turns your phone into a portable workstation: you can design websites, write, make videos, graphics, and more.
• Loud speakers with clear sound
  They demonstrate dense juicy sound and high volume.
• Water protection
  The mobile is protected against fresh water, it can be taken into the pool or bath. He is not afraid of splashes and short-term immersion, but it is better to do it as rarely as possible.

The downside of the phone is its hinges. Although they are strong, they cannot withstand careless pulling – they break. It will have to be carried for repair.

Do not press on the fold between the halves in the unfolded mode. This is the “Achilles heel” of the screen. The mobile phone may stop responding to pressing.

Summarizing the above, we come to the fact that Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, based on its characteristics, will be a balm for the soul for those who love innovation. Flexible smartphones have just appeared. We’ll see if they become popular.

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