Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, Flip3, Watch4 and Buds2 earbuds unveiled at ‘unpacked’ event
A foldable phone, flip phone, two smartwatches and new wireless earbuds were unveiled at Samsung’s much-anticipated Unpacked event.
A folding phone that opens as a book was the signature item among devices unveiled by Samsung overnight. The Korean device maker also unveiled a flip phone with a screen that folds in half, two Android watches and new wireless earbuds.
Samsung’s “unpacked” events usually attract devotees and media from around the world, but in the early hours of Thursday AEST, fans had to watch a stream of the event from South Korea due to Covid restrictions.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is a long and narrow smartphone with a 6.2-inch display. It has three 12 megapixel camera lenses on the back and is double the thickness of a regular phone with its two sides. I already have a Fold3 5G review phone and while it’s thicker, it still slides easily into my pocket.
The phone opens like a book to reveal a 7.6-inch folded screen that opens to the size of a small tablet computer.
You can carry around a phone and still enjoy a tablet like experience when watching movies, surfing the web and perusing photos. You don’t have to carrying a separate device. Swapping between phone and tablet use is a matter of snapping the two sides open and shut.
This is an important release for Samsung which has been hit by the global component shortage and the recent suspension of factories in Vietnam due to a Covid outbreak.
The first version of the Fold was experimental and flawed. Samsung had to recall original Galaxy Fold models when displays deteriorated and dust ruined hinges beneath the fold. Some complained you couldn’t fold the screen shut with version 2. Thankfully, the Fold3 5G closes firmly.
When open, you do see a crease in the middle of the screen. That may annoy some but it didn’t impact my viewing experience.
The Fold3 5G is cheaper than the 2020 model. It starts at $2499 instead of $2999 with Fold2. That will tempt some but the expense may put off others. You get 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. The price jumps to $2649 for 512GB of storage. Phones are in black, green and silver.
The Fold3 5G has an impressive camera set-up, with three 12MP lenses on the back. There are ultra wide, wide and telephoto lenses. This lens system remains the back facing camera whether you have the phone open or closed. A 10 megapixel selfie camera is available when the phone is open.
I took some photos with the Fold3 5G in my local park and the quality is very good. The camera menus are much like those on other high end Galaxy phones. You can easily move between the three lenses which cover 0.5x to 10x. I took close ups at 0.5x and I also took some night shots.
CLICK ON PHOTOS TO VIEW IN FULL SCREEN
You are not limited to the squarish dimensions of the phone when you take images with the phone opened up. The camera takes shots in regular 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio, as well as 1:1 and 5:4. It is easier to take photos and video with the phone sides closed. I found it better to take photos in phone mode rather than tablet mode. I had a tendency to place my fingers over the lenses when snapping images in tablet mode.
Night mode emulated the good quality and fine definition offered by other Samsung phones.
Typing is a different experience on this small, squarish tablet. It’s not the same as using a dedicated keyboard. You get different keyboard layouts including a split keyboard. Two-thumbs typing with my palms underneath supporting the Fold3 5G worked well for me, using the regular layout. I am getting faster with practice.
The Fold3 5G supports both fingerprint and face recognition. The power button on the right hand side doubles as the fingerprint sensor.
The Fold3 5G supports Samsung’s S-Pen. This is timely as the Korean firm has discontinued its Note series with S-Pen this year. If you’re an S-Penner, you can buy a Fold S-Pen starting at $74 and an S-Pen Pro for $189 which works with some other Galaxy devices.
Both folding phones support a physical SIM and electronic SIM (eSIM), so you can operate two numbers. Like other Samsung phones, they are both IP68 rated to withstand dust, dirt and sand, and submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m for up to thirty minutes. I wouldn’t be testing the limits of this using my $2500 phone though.
The other folding phone announced today, the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, is a little like the flip phones of two decades ago, but instead of being made up of a screen, hinge and keyboard, the phone is a continuous screen that folds in the middle. It takes up half the size of a normal phone in your pocket when folded, which is its benefit.
The Flip3 5G is cheaper than the Fold model at $1599 and comes in grey, white and pink, with green, cream and lavender units available from Samsung’s eStore.
Both folding screen models can be preordered now and go on sale on September 10. You can get some bonuses when you pre-order the phones from today, and Vodafone, Telstra and Optus (here and here) offer deals if you buy a folding phone on a plan. In one deal, Telstra is throwing in a 43-inch Samsung 4K UHD TV if you preorder a Fold3 or Flip3. It used to be the other way around: if you bought a TV, you might snag a free phone.
Samsung is offering an up-market Thom Browne Edition version of the Flip3 5G and Fold3 5G if you are prepared to splash some extra cash. They cost $3199 and $4699 respectively.
Samsung is punting on the Fold3 5G and Flip3 5G to boost its revenue. Quality, durability and affordability will determine if generation three appeals to a broader market.
There were other devices announced at the overnight event: The Galaxy Watch4 Classic and sports focused Galaxy Watch4 smart watches. The Watch4 contains Samsung’s ‘BioActive’ sensor which can measure optical heart rate, electrical heart rate and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Users can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen level and body composition.
Samsung acknowledges these watches are not medical or therapeutic devices, so they don’t have TGA approval.
In bygone days, Samsung installed its home grown Tizen operating system on its watches. Tizen was a better alternative to the standard Google Android watch interface. Samsung and Google have now signed an agreement which sees Samsung watches run a co-developed Wear OS operating system “powered by Samsung”.
The performance of this operating system will indicate whether these watches will be successful. Android watches have a long way to catch the versatility of Apple Watch. The Watch4 Classic starts at $549, the Watch4 at $399.
As expected, Samsung also released new wireless earbuds, Galaxy Buds2, with active noise cancellation and three adjustable ambient sound levels. It costs $219.
The Australian will review Samsung’s new devices in detail soon.
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