With the new Samsung Galaxy Fold3 and Flip3, the Korean tech titan has taken its foldable phone game to the next level. Oozing with premium materials, both the Fold and Flip look more complete now. We did a review roundup on the Fold3, and we can confidently say that it is a solid foldable now. However, with a price tag close to $2,000, should you really buy the Samsung Galaxy Fold3?
Twitter is also debating the same question, and it sounds like there are still many factors to consider before buying a foldable phone. We already talked in-depth about whether you should buy a foldable phone in 2021. When writing that article, the Samsung Galaxy Fold3 and Flip3 were not a part of the picture.
I Don’t Need A Folding Phone
These are not my words. Shen Ye, Senior Director and Global Head of hardware products at HTC, tweeted this. If anything, the tweet only shows that foldable phones are now too good to ignore. Carl Pei, Nothing Co-founder, and CEO also liked the tweet. The comment thread under the tweet also has many people debating over getting foldable or waiting till the price drops by a couple of hundred bucks.
While the Samsung Galaxy Fold3 looks like the complete package, the price is the one thing that is stopping the device from becoming a mainstream flagship. On the other hand, keeping it separate from the mainstream flagship is the whole point of the price and the design of the device.
If you’re someone who wants the best of Samsung for a relatively reasonable price, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Not to forget that it also won the Best smartphone award at the MWC 2021. That said, the Fold3 outshines the S21 Ultra in terms of character.
The Flippin’ Luxury!
It is already established that foldable and flippable phones are just flagship products with a more luxurious design. So if you’re on a budget, you’ll be better served by any of the other flagship devices on the market. However, if money doesn’t matter and you are looking to spend $1,800 for an engineering feat of a phone, the Samsung foldable phones make sense for you.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold3 and Flip3 are made out of premium alloys and come with IPX8 water resistance, flagship processors, and cameras. In fact, the Fold3 even gets 12GB RAM as standard. In terms of functionality, too, the Fold3, with its mini-tablet experience when unfolded, gives you more screen real-estate. The 7.6-inch internal screen, along with Samsung’s optimized software, makes for a good productivity package.
If you’re opting in for the luxury of the foldable, you should be prepared about the repair costs too. While Samsung has managed to reduce the cost of the Fold3, the repair will still cost you comparatively more. For context, getting a new display for the previous generation, Galaxy Fold, costs $150. Again, that’s something you should be okay with if you’re opting in for luxury along with functionality.
The Future Prospect: Do You Need A Foldable?
At the current prices, the Samsung Galaxy Flip3 is more accessible but offers less. Coming to the Galaxy Fold3, Samsung has made it a great package, but it is still not as accessible like a regular flagship. We’re optimistic about the costs coming further down as foldable phones would evolve in the coming years. Till then, the Samsung Galaxy Fold3 remains a good luxurious flagship, which demands you to pay a premium for it.
Let us know your thoughts on Samsung’s latest offerings in the comments.
