There's a lot to be impressed with on the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 but
comparing it to the Z Fold 2...? I have questions.
Hey smores, I'm Shannon Morse, welcome to Morse Code. Before I send my Z Fold 2 back
to Samsung since I traded it in for the Z Fold 3, I wanted to do a quick comparison video showing
off all those upgrades... and a few downgrades. I've got my coffee, I'm ready, let's do this.
The price point and colors have changed with the Z Fold 3. The 2 was $1999
MSRP starting while the 3 starts at $1799. The 2
came in Bronze and Black, while the 3 is available in Black, Silver, and Green.
There are some major changes just to specs alone, with the most noticeable being the design. The Z
Fold 2 was bigger than the Z Fold 3 from one millimeter in some parts, to .1 mm in others.
Unfolded, the 3 is slightly shorter and is less thick. Folded, it's less wide but the thickness
has increased by a tiny margin. The 3 also has IPX8 waterproofing and the frame is tougher.
The hinge is less bulky, and the design looks more streamlined and compact on the Z Fold 3.
There's a lot less going on in terms of metal finishings used
and the bezels around both screens looks a lot cleaner. I also noticed it weighs
a little less at 271g instead of 282g but that's still a pretty hefty phone,
and it still doesn't fit in a lot of those car clamps you'd use to mount it because it's thick.
The cover display looks about the same although the new one is 120hz instead of the 60hz we saw
on the Fold 2. Otherwise, that front camera on the cover display is still the same 10MP one as well.
The pixel count is little denser on that cover display as well, from 386
to 387 ppi, and the aspect ratio is slightly more comfortable - it's 24.5:9 instead of 25:9.
The cover display is still crazy skinny and is something I rarely use.
Unfolded, the Fold 3 lays a little flatter on a surface.
It unfolds to create a pretty level back while the Fold 2 did have a slight angle to it.
Neither of them lay perfectly flat though because of that camera bump. Speaking of the back,
the camera bump was also redesigned, though the cameras are pretty much the same. You'll
get pretty similar photos out of either phone's rear cameras, as that hardware hasn't changed. BUT
unfolded, instead of that 10MP punch hole camera lens, now we have a 4MP under display
camera. It IS noticeable, even though it looks like it's trying real hard to hide from view,
but the pixel density is so low around this lens that it's pretty obvious something is there when
you're looking at the display. The photo quality is pretty low on this selfie camera so I avoid
taking photos with it altogether and choose the better one on the cover
display. I'd rather they just stick with the punch hole design so I don't feel like it's 2014 again.
Even my Note 4 from 2014 got better photos out of it's selfie camera so... this one kinda sucks.
The main foldable display does offer S Pen support - but only for the Pro
S Pen or the S Pen Fold Edition - not other ones. It will literally stop you from using
it if you try to use other S Pens because you could damage the screen if you press down too
hard. That interior display is the same as it's predecessor but it's stronger - samsung says
by 80%. You can still damage it so my advice would be to be careful. Try not to scratch it.
There's still no dust or particle resistance so don't take this thing to the beach or to
a dusty climate. Just a spec of dust under that hinge could screw it up.
In the new Fold 3, you do get a Snapdragon 888, a slight upgrade from the 865 Plus of the Fold 2,
and you have options now of either 12 or 16 GB RAM and 256 or 512 GB storage.
The battery has been decreased to a 4400 mAh instead of the 4500 mAh of the Fold 2.
Charging speeds and wattage haven't changed. The battery life is pretty bad though - it'll get
you through at full 8 hour day of work with normal usage but the Z Fold 2 can do 10 hours no problem,
while I'm seeing more like 7 hours on the Fold 3 - I'll have fully tested the battery life on the
Fold 3 in my complete review so you'll see some solid examples in that video, not just estimates.
So overall, I didn't see as many changes with the 3 as I was expecting before the announcement,
and I was surprised when they went with the battery and selfie camera changes.
I'm glad the price dropped a bit and I'm really loving the design differences which
aren't just aesthetic but also increase durability and that's a huge plus.
Stay tuned and subscribe for my full in depth review of the new Z Fold 3 as well as a new
video on some pro tips and productivity features I really like in this new phone.
I'm having a lot of fun testing it out so I can't wait to show you more.
Comment below and let me know if you have any questions! Thanks again to my smores for
subscribing and watching. I'm Shannon Morse and I'll see ya soon. Bye yall!