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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is packed with new features and an eye-watering price tag

Will this be the folding phone that finally gets it right?

samsung galaxy z fold 3 handset on purple background
Image: KnowTechie

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Samsung just announced the $1,799 Galaxy Z Fold 3 at its Unpacked event today, ushering in the next generation of foldable devices. This time around, it should be hardier as it comes with water resistance, and it finally has S Pen support.

That last point is important since Samsung decided not to release a new Galaxy Note this year. That might not matter though, as the Z Fold 3 seems to be shaping up as a productivity powerhouse. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 888, has 12GB of RAM, and either 256GB or 512GB storage options.

The rear cameras have been tweaked slightly from the last generation, with the f/2.4 telephoto camera getting optical image stabilization. The f/1.8 wide and f/2.0 ultrawide lenses are unchanged, with all having a 12MP sensor.

The 10MP camera on the cover screen is also unchanged, but Samsung made a big change to the selfie camera that’s on the primary screen – it’s now an under-display camera at 4MP. You can see where the sensor is as the resolution of the usually-pristine AMOLED drops drastically, but it should be adequate for video calls.

samsung galaxy z fold 3 color options
Image: Samsung

The whole device has been hardened, with 10 percent stronger aluminum in the hinge, IPX8 water resistance so 30 minutes in the tub shouldn’t faze it, the protective film on the inner screen is 80 percent stronger, and Gorilla Glass Victus is covering the outer screen so it might survive a drop better.

The S Pen only works on the 7.6-inch primary screen, and there’s a new “Fold Edition” S Pen that covers the basic S Pen functionality while also having a stylus tip that retracts slightly when pressed, to limit the force you can apply to that fragile screen.

Oh, and there’s a new Labs section in the Settings that lets you force any app into split-screen or pop-up view, so you can multitask better.

Preorders start for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 today, in black, green, or silver. It’ll be available on August 27.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.

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