Samsung launches its third Galaxy Fold smartphone – for £1,700

Samsung has launched one of its most expensive smartphones yet – the £1,700 Galaxy Z Fold3 – which folds vertically down the middle of the screen. 

The new phone is one of two new additions to the Galaxy Z series – Samsung’s line of foldable phones. 

The firm calls Galaxy Z Fold3 ‘a true multitasking powerhouse’ with a main screen measuring 7.6 inches when unfolded and an exterior cover screen measuring 6.2 inches. 

It’s also the first ever foldable device from Samsung to come with an S Pen stylus – commonly found with the company’s Note range. 

The Korean tech giant, which claims ‘the future is foldable’, has also launched the £1,000 Z Flip3, which flips open like a retro 90s phone thanks to a horizontal hinge through the middle of the screen. 

Both devices are 5G compatible and have IPX8 water resistance. They’re available for pre-order today (August 11) and go on sale August 27. 

Galaxy Z Fold3 has two screens – one smaller one on the outside that customers can use when it’s folded, and the larger interior screen 

Samsung had already released the original Galaxy Z Fold in 2019 and its follow-up the Galaxy Z Fold2, as well as the original Galaxy Z Flip, last year.  

But these two new additions are the most durable phones in the Galaxy Z series so far, the company claims. 

The Galaxy Z Fold3 will start at £1,599 – down from £1,799 for last year’s device – while the Z Flip3 starts at £949, down from the £1,229 price tag of the previous version. 

However, if customers want more storage capacity, they’ll be paying £1,699 for the Galaxy Z Fold3 and £999 for the Galaxy Z Flip3. 

‘We are proud pioneers of the foldable smartphone category and continue building on our legacy of innovation to shape the future of this industry,’ said Conor Pierce, corporate vice president for UK and Ireland at Samsung Electronics. 

‘With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3, we are evolving our Galaxy Z Series portfolio with two devices built for the varying demands of today’s fast-paced world. 

‘For the first time, our much-loved S Pen is coming to the Galaxy Z Series with the Galaxy Z Fold3, while the Galaxy Z Flip3 is equipped with more power than ever before. 

Samsung has brought S Pen functionality to Galaxy Z Fold3. ‘This is Samsung’s best S Pen experience yet’, the firm says

The Galaxy Z Fold3’s main screen is 7.6 inches in diameter. Its smaller cover screen, meanwhile, measures 6.2 inches

‘Alongside new additions to our best-in-class ecosystem, the Galaxy Z Series provides our customers with the ultimate choice of foldable technology that will turn the industry on its head and set the precedence for the next era of smartphones.’

Galaxy Z Fold3 is built with a new design which is sleeker, thinner and lighter for even better portability than Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, Samsung says.    

One of the benefits of the Galaxy Z series is the adjustable hinge, which means users can keep the phone open and place it on a level surface for hands-free use – like watching films when eating a meal, for example. 

The firm’s ‘sweeper’ technology along the hinge now makes it even more difficult for dust to infiltrate the folding mechanism – which was one of the problems Samsung originally had with the first model back in 2019.    

Galaxy Z Fold3 is the first ever foldable device from Samsung to come with an S Pen stylus – commonly found with the company’s Note range

Both the Fold3 and Flip3 are also built with new Armour Aluminium – the strongest aluminium ever used on a smartphone – and the toughest Corning Gorilla Glass Victus to protect against scratches and accidental drops. 

They also have a new protective film made of a stretchable polyethylene terephthalate (PET), resulting in a screen that’s 80 per cent more durable than previous devices. 

Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 were also put through a strenuous folding test, verified by certification company Bureau Veritas, to withstand folding 200,000 times.   

Pictured, the Galaxy Z Flip3. New ‘stylish’ ring grips and strap cases make it even easier to hold and fold the phone, according to the tech giant

Samsung says: ‘For those who want style that comes with function, Z Flip3 [pictured] is the ideal device with its sleek, compact and pocketable design.’ 

The more compact choice, the Galaxy Z Flip3, has been built with a sleek and ‘pocketable’ design, as well as a larger cover screen (the secondary screen that’s displayed when the phone is snapped shut). 

The Flip3’s main screen measures 6.7 inches, while the smaller cover screen on the outside is 1.9 inch – larger than the 1.1 inch on the original Z Flip. 

It also has ‘stylish’ ring grips and strap cases sold separately that make it even easier to hold and fold the phone, according to the tech giant. 

Galaxy Z Fold3 comes in four colours – ‘phantom black, ‘phantom green’ and ‘phantom silver’.

Galaxy Z Flip3, meanwhile, comes in cream, lavender, green and phantom black, as well as grey, white and light pink available exclusively from Samsung.com. 

Samsung has also revealed new wireless earbuds, Galaxy Buds2, for £139, and new smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic. All of these devices also go on sale August 27. 

Galaxy Buds2 are the lightest and smallest earbuds in the entire Galaxy Buds series, Samsung says

Left, Galaxy Watch4 and right, Galaxy Watch4 Classic with its more traditional ‘watch-like’ design

The next-generation curve-shaped earbuds come with dynamic two-way speakers and enhanced active noise cancellation for a ‘rich, balanced sound’, Samsung claims.

‘Galaxy Buds2 not only make your voice clearer on calls but they also allow you to be completely immersed in your music, videos, and entertainment,’ it says. 

They’re the lightest and smallest earbuds in the entire Galaxy Buds range and come in four colours – graphite, white, olive, and lavender. 

The Galaxy Watch 4 models, meanwhile, come with new additions to Samsung’s health and fitness features, including a new body composition measurement tool to measure body fat and skeletal muscle. 

Available in black, silver and pink gold, Galaxy Watch4 starts from £249, while Galaxy Watch4 Classic starts from £349.