This is what we want to see on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, the best fold from Samsung

When Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 2 last fall, we here at XDA absolutely loved it. This was a huge improvement over the original fold, and it proved that foldable material is here to stay. But that does not mean that the device is flawless – we have minor points with the device that we hope Samsung can fix for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 that will come later this year.

In the months that followed, Huawei released a similar fold that probably has even better hardware – but its only status in China and a lack of GMS support means the appeal is very limited. It holds the Galaxy Z Fold 2 as the best foldable phone for most people, and we can’t wait to see what the Galaxy Z Fold 3 brings. Here is our wish list for the upcoming foldable, based on our extensive experience handling devices in this category since the inception of the category itself.

A flatter fold and less lifting

The point of a foldable is that it offers a greater screen experience in a pocket package. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 delivers mostly, but it is still slightly thick and heavy at 16.8 mm and 282 g. This extra thickness and leverage is not a big deal if I wear normal daily activities, um, a right pants, with a button and / or belt. But if I’m in the gym or wearing basketball pants that fit thinner, looser, with only an elastic waistband, the weight of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 can start to sag the pants on one side. Charging the phone also makes the wrist tired after prolonged use with one hand.

I also want to see the Fold 3 fold in a flatter fold design like Huawei’s Mate X2. This will not only make the Galaxy Z Fold 3 look better, but also shave off a few millimeters of the total thickness of the device.

True flagship camera system on the Galaxy Z Fold 3

All of Samsung’s foldable phones have so far not used Samsung’s best camera systems at the time of release. The Galaxy Z Fold 2, for example, does not have the 108MP sensor and the Periscope zoom lens, which was a major feature of the Galaxy’s last three flagships.

When I reviewed the Galaxy Z Fold 2, I forgave the device because it used a ‘lesser’ camera system, because I thought it was physically impossible to get a Periscope lens (which is thicker and takes up more space) take as traditional camera sensors). a foldable device. But then Huawei threw the assumption out the window by just doing it with the Mate X2.

There are no excuses for Samsung right now – put a Periscope zoom lens in the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Extend the outside of the “cover”

One major improvement Samsung made with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 over the original Fold was that it drastically increased the display area of ​​the outer screen, which Samsung calls ‘cover screen’. Most of the growth, however, took place vertically, as Samsung really got rid of the enormous forehead and chin pads of the original fold and did not increase the phone’s width so much. This left the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s cover display with an awkward 25: 9 aspect ratio, which is very long and narrow.

Do not get me wrong – I can still use the phone for most tasks, but when I have to type intensively, the keyboard feels cramped; some programs also do not display properly in such a tight pace.

I would love to see the Galaxy Z Fold 3 enlarge the outside screen to get closer to a more conventional aspect ratio. This has already been achieved by the Huawei Mate X2, which has a 21: 9 exterior screen that makes the phone feel more like a regular phone when folded.

S-Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold 3

There were rumors that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 from last year would support Samsung’s S-Pen stylus, but that was ultimately not true. But with the Galaxy S21 Ultra getting S-Pen support, and Lenovo’s foldable computer – the ThinkPad X1 – also supporting a stylus, it seems the desire and technology is ready for Samsung to get the S-Pen out of the Note series release and make an ecosystem-wide Samsung accessory.

However, for a stylus to work well on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it needs to solve one more problem of the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Get rid of creation

Both the original Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 2 screens have a rather sudden and hard vertical fold in the middle of the screen, although it is not too visible through the eye when looking at the “right” angle. it always striking. The groove is in fact so deep that it would disrupt a brush for artists who appreciate precision. Therefore, if the Galaxy Z Fold 3 wants to support the S-Pen, it should reduce the crease.

The good news is that the technology is already there. Huawei’s Mate X2, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 and Motorola’s Razr 5G all have foldable screens that display very few folds due to a folding mechanism that puts the screen in a gap for a tear-like fold.

Samsung may consider this option to reduce the crease. By following this route, however, the hinge can no longer remain open in any corner – a useful trick of the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Perhaps the engineers can find a good middle ground.

Easy aspect ratio switch for non-optimized applications

Whether it’s inside the square 7.6-inch main screen or the 25: 9 6.3-inch outer screen, both Galaxy Z Fold 2 screens have unconventional aspect ratios. This means that smartphone apps that are not optimized specifically for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 have three options to show themselves: displayed in normal smartphone form with letterbox; displayed in stretched format to fill the screen, but opens up the possibility of distortion; or displayed in full by cropping it, which means the edges of the app may not appear on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 screen.

Sure, app makers can optimize their apps to fit perfectly in these folding screens – and Samsung’s first-party apps do it all – but it’s very unrealistic to expect every app maker to do so, especially as the foldable market is still niche. This is a problem that will be here to stay within the foreseeable future.

This is not too big an issue on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 for most word-based apps. When stretched out, Chrome looks a bit odd, but it does not break the performance or the experience. But photo-heavy apps like Instagram are harder to handle. Distorting an image by stretching it is obviously not ideal, so Instagram should work on the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s large screen in letterbox format, or a clipped format that cuts off the top and bottom of Instagram Stories. I can switch between one or the other option through the Samsung Good Lock app, but should Samsung not build this feature into the phone’s software, instead of needing an extra download?

Even better, how about giving us the option to quickly switch between the three display options (letterbox, clipped, stretched) in real time? Maybe an on-screen pop-up button, a multi-finger gesture, or a keyboard shortcut? We see room for improvement here.

Increased durability

For some people, folding phones are still synonymous with ‘fragile’. Personally, I think the reputation is no longer a fair rating – I used all the original Fold, Z Fold 2 and Z Flip together for over a year and they all still work well – but it’s understandable why some mainstream consumers are still cautious , given the high-profile failures of the original Fold’s early review units.

So, for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, I would like a greater durability. I know that the demand for IP68 water and dust resistance is probably not likely for a foldable device. But what about a lesser IP rating, similar to that seen in earbuds, such as IPX3 or IPX4?

If Samsung can not provide tangible ‘proof’ of durability such as an IP rating, can it make buyers more comfortable by extending the warranty period from one year to 18 months or even two years? Samsung already looks very confident with the durability of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, as it offers a return period of 100 days, so assuring customers that folders are not fragile can make a big contribution to this product category in the generally accepted.

What do you want to see on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3?

Overall, I do not want to make it sound like I’m grabbing the Galaxy Z Fold 2 a lot – it’s still my favorite phone of all (the Mate X2 would probably have overtaken it if it weren’t for the Google issue). But the above upgrades are reasonable to ask for as most have already been achieved by other brands.

Since the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is probably only half a year away, chances are that most of the hardware changes have already been put in stone, so this list is purely hypothetical. If Samsung has not yet applied these changes, it is probably too late to see it in the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

But Samsung is ultimately the pioneer of the foldable category, so their engineers probably have some tricks up their sleeves that no one expects.