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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G at a presentation in Berlin
Photo:
Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The goal is clear: The market for foldables, as devices with a foldable screen are called, should belong to Samsung, at least for the time being.
To get a little closer to this goal, the Korean company presented new versions of its folding phones on Wednesday, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
With the technology updates, the company wants to dispel the greatest criticisms of their predecessors.
For this purpose, the devices were made more robust and waterproof and equipped with better screens and processors.
With a huge marketing campaign, Samsung wants to advertise the innovations and ensure that the term "foldable" is no longer nerd knowledge, but common knowledge - then the sales figures should also increase significantly.
So far, cell phones with foldable screens have been a marginal phenomenon.
"We are already selling more than four-digit numbers per week," says Mario Winter, Vice President Marketing at Samsung, the SPIEGEL.
Compared with around 425,000 smartphones, the average Germans buy a more homeopathic amount per week.
That should change.
Samsung exhibited the first generation of its folding smartphones in only around 500 shops across Germany, always under one bell, says Winter.
"Now almost all 5,000 shops have a flip and a fold, the promoters are trained until they drop, the network operators are giving full throttle."
The aim is to bring more potential customers into contact with the new technology.
"The target group was previously three million people in Germany, now there are ten million," says Winter.
The most important argument for the reluctance of buyers, however, is likely to have been the prices of up to 2500 euros for earlier foldables.
This is exactly where Samsung wants to start.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is offered 200 euros cheaper than its predecessor, but is not exactly cheap at 1799 euros.
The smaller Galaxy Z Flip 3 is available from 1049 euros, which is more than 400 euros less than its predecessor cost at the start.
Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
The lower price is likely to be the argument that will make far more people reach for the Z Flip 3 instead of the Z Fold 3.
Its 6.7-inch screen is just as big as its predecessor when it is opened, but thanks to a refresh rate of 120 Hertz, it provides a smoother image reproduction, especially when scrolling through websites and in games.
A protective film that is firmly glued to the screen at the factory is intended to better protect the display against scratches and other damage.
A particularly robust aluminum alloy is now used for the housing, which is better able to withstand falls.
In addition, the Z Flip 3 is waterproof according to the IPX8 standard.
Although water can penetrate through the openings in the construction, the electronic and mechanical components are protected by special coatings.
However, dust can still penetrate.
An important point of criticism of the predecessor was its tiny outdoor display, which had hardly any practical use.
In the new model, it is four times larger than before, according to Samsung, and now has a diagonal of 1.9 inches.
When trying it out for the first time, this mini-display made a pretty good impression; a test has to show what practical use it has.
In any case, more important than the technology for the success of the Z Flip 3 is its concept, which is reminiscent of the flip phones of the nineties: when it is folded it is very small, when it is opened it has a large screen.
And then of course there is the element of fashion.
Samsung offers the Z Flip 3 in seven colors, three of which can only be ordered in Samsung's online shop.
Galaxy Z Fold 3
Basically everything that applies to the Z Flip 3 applies to the larger Z Fold 3: It is waterproof, has a more robust housing, a 120 Hertz display and a more durable protective film on the screen. In addition, it also shares this with the smaller model, it is powered by a Snapdragon 888 chip, currently the fastest processor from the chip manufacturer Qualcomm. However, the outside screen is almost as big as the opened one of the Z Flip 3. There is also the inside screen, which unfolds to 7.6 inches when it is opened.
What is new is that you can also write, draw and paint with a pen on this screen. The Z Fold 3 is a bit of a successor to Samsung's Galaxy Note series, of which there will be no new model for the time being. However, you have to purchase the pen as an accessory and make sure to use either the new S Pen Pro or the S Pen Fold Edition. Both are equipped with a retractable pen tip, with which the pressure acting on the screen can be regulated. Older S pens will not work.
Another innovation tries to hide itself in the interior screen: The interior camera is no longer housed in a hole in the display, but has moved almost invisibly under the display.
The technology is fascinating, the first test selfies with it weren't.
With just four megapixels, the recordings made many details disappear.
It looks better with the other cameras, some of which are based on those of the Galaxy S-21 series.
The front camera of the two folding phones has ten megapixels each, the rear cameras twelve megapixels.
Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 have in common that they are equipped with wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras.
The Z Fold 3 also has a telecamera.
The two devices also share the Android 11 operating system, for which Samsung plans to provide updates for several years, as well as the ability to connect to 5G mobile networks and Wifi 6 networks.
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3 will be available in stores from August 27, according to Samsung.
Interested parties can also pre-order it from now on in Samsung's online shop.
In order to attract changers and upgraders in particular to such a pre-order, the group offers an exchange bonus of 200 euros and an additional discount of up to 800 euros if an old device is traded in.