Samsung's new foldables and how they stack up to the competition

Samsung's newest folding smartphones, arsenic of August 2021.

Image: Samsung

Samsung's 2021 Galaxy Unpacked lawsuit was the premier of respective caller pieces of hardware. The Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Buds 2 were each announced, but 2 of those devices were decidedly the stars of the show: The Fold 3 and Flip 3.

Samsung has been a person successful folding smartphones ever since the motorboat of the original Galaxy Fold successful 2019. While its folding devices whitethorn person suffered setbacks and method issues, Samsung has present had a mates of versions to tally done earlier this latest series, and that gives it an borderline implicit competing devices from Motorola, Xiaomi and Huawei, and the second 2 haven't adjacent released folding devices successful the U.S.

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All successful all, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 person a fig of improvements that marque them basal retired successful the folding smartphone field.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 3: Specs compared

The folding smartphone marketplace is inactive rather small, but it's worthy comparing immoderate of the cardinal hardware features that the latest procreation of devices from Samsung and its competitors.

How bash the latest Samsung devices basal out?

Looking implicit that array of instrumentality specs, you whitethorn person noticed that each 5 compared devices person akin features with a spot of saltation present and there: The Motorola Razr lacks Wi-Fi 6 support, for example, portion the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold is the lone instrumentality that offers representation configuration options. 

There are a mates of areas wherever the Samsung Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 basal out, with the archetypal being their IP ratings, which nary of the different folding devices offer. IPX8 means that the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 tin some grip much than a metre of water, but that X whitethorn beryllium a spot confusing if you're not definite what IP ratings mean. The archetypal fig successful an IP rating, X successful this case, refers to the device's particle extortion and ranges from 0 (unprotected) to 6 (the instrumentality is afloat particulate tight). The X provided by Samsung means that they didn't trial the latest Z-series devices against carnal particles, which whitethorn beryllium a disappointment for owners of erstwhile Z Fold and Z Flip devices, some of which person had problems with dust and debris getting into the hinges.

The outer screens connected the caller Samsung devices besides person Gorilla Glass Victus, which tin reportedly grip a driblet of up to 2 meters and is doubly arsenic scratch resistant arsenic Gorilla Glass 6, its predecessor.

It's besides worthy noting thing other Samsung has that 2 of the devices listed supra don't have: U.S. availability. Folding smartphone aficionados volition request to hunt down a Xiaomi oregon Huawei foldable to import if they privation 1 of those. 

With that successful mind, the folding smartphones that concern professionals should see are some manufactured by Samsung. Whether oregon not improvements to the Flip and Fold 3-series volition beryllium capable to marque them applicable devices for day-to-day enactment remains to beryllium seen. 

Also see

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• Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic connected Flipboard)