Samsung is dominating the foldable phone space right now. The company’s third-generation Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip are hotly anticipated due to rumored updates that involve a potential price drop from the stratospheric cost of the previous models.
While we’ve reported on a number of leaks regarding these handsets already, none have given us as clear of a look at the handsets as the new images from leaker Evan Blass, which appear to be final renders of the phones intended for Samsung’s website.
The first image includes both devices with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 standing upright and slightly folded to allow it to stand. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is choosing to ignore gravity and is slightly folded and resting at an angle.
As always, leaked images need to be taken with a grain of salt as the source is not identified. And while these are convincing recreations of Samsung product images, they could be faked. With that said, if we assume they are real, the photos offer us some insights into both handsets.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
The Galaxy Z Flip may be closed, but it still reveals quite a bit about the clamshell foldable’s updates. The most notable is the exterior screen, which is basically a thumbnail on the Galaxy Z Flip 5G but appears to have roughly doubled in size based on this image. That would be a huge boost for usability; text is easily legible and using it for an image preview for selfies on the rear cameras would actually be practical at that size.
Speaking of the rear cameras, they appear considerably larger than those found on the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, which were adequate, but not what we’ve become accustomed to on a modern Samsung flagship. You still are limited to two lenses, presumably a wide-angle and ultra-wide, but these look on par with the Galaxy S21. We’ll have to wait and see on the final specs, but it is encouraging. The alignment of the lenses has also gone vertical to create space for the larger exterior display and the flash moved above them for the same reason.
The two-tone design will remind some of the first few Pixel devices, which is also making a comeback in the Pixel 6. This model looks gold, which aligns with one of the recently leaked colors for the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 4.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
That initial image of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 doesn’t tell us much, but the second one does. Galaxy Note fans will be drawn to the S Pen resting against the foldable with “Fold Edition” inscribed on the side. Rumors indicated S Pen support would be coming and that it would be a new type of stylus, so this all lines up. It won’t have a silo in the phone, but the idea of being able to draw and write on that massive screen is appealing.
The camera array is the next thing that grabbed my attention. It doesn’t follow the Contour Cut Camera housing design of the Galaxy S21 Ultra and others, but it moves to a much more minimal oval camera housing. The cameras in the Galaxy Z Fold 2 were already quite good and these at least outwardly look to be upgraded. The rumors suggest that they will be a trio of 12MP sensors, but megapixels don’t tell the whole story, so perhaps they are upgraded 12MP sensors.
One rumor this image seems to refute is the claim that the phone will use an under-display camera (UDC). The hole-punch selfie camera can clearly be seen on the right half of the interior display just as it is on the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Either the rumor is wrong, this render is wrong, or only the exterior display features a UDC. Given the less-than-glowing description of the UDC, we won’t be upset if they stick to a hole-punch camera again.
