Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G vs Z Fold3 5G: The Ultimate Foldable Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Z Fold3 5G is the clear winner, offering a brighter display, more powerful processor, and improved water resistance. While the Z Fold2 remains a capable device, the Z Fold3's upgrades justify the price difference for most users seeking the latest foldable technology.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - SM-F916B | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - SM-F916B | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 77, 78 Sub6 - SM-F916B | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66 - SM-F916U1 | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 78, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, August 11 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, September 18 | Available. Released 2021, August 27 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus) (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mmFolded: 159.2 x 68 x 13.8-16.8 mm | Unfolded: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mmFolded: 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4-16 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 282 g (9.95 oz) | 271 g (9.56 oz) |
| - | IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus support | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1768 x 2208 pixels (~373 ppi density) | 1768 x 2208 pixels (~374 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.6 inches, 180.8 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 7.6 inches, 179.9 cm2 (~88.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) |
| Cover display: Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 6.23 inches, 816 x 2260 pixels, 25:9 ratio | Cover display: Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 6.2 inches, 832 x 2268 pixels, 25:9 ratio | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.09 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1.1 | Android 11, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ | 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm | 4 MP, f/1.8, 2.0µm, under display Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 | USB Type-C 3.2 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired 11W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless | 25W wired 11W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4400 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Thom Browne Edition, Aston Martin Racing Edition | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Green, Thom Browne Edition, Wooyoungmi Edition |
| Models | SM-F916B, SM-F916U, SM-F916U1, SM-F916N, SM-F9160, SM-F916W, SCG05 | SM-F926B, SM-F926B/DS, SM-F926U, SM-F926U1, SM-F926W, SM-F9260, SM-F926N |
| Price | About 960 EUR | € 453.57 / $ 367.74 / £ 449.99 |
| SAR | - | 0.73 W/kg (head) 1.22 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.86 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | 1.04 W/kg (head) 1.44 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | Endurance rating 75h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 564907 (v8) GeekBench: 12607 (v4.4), 2715 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 635918 (v8), 752218 (v9) GeekBench: 12719 (v4.4), 3239 (v5.1) GFXBench: 38fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
- More affordable
- Excellent display
- Versatile camera system
- Good battery life
- Less powerful processor
- Lower display brightness
- No water resistance
- More noticeable under-display camera
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
- Brighter display
- More powerful processor
- Water resistance (IPX8)
- Improved camera performance
- Less noticeable under-display camera
- Higher price
- Slightly lower endurance rating (in lab tests)
Display Comparison
The Z Fold3 boasts a significantly brighter display at 922 nits compared to the Z Fold2's 714 nits. Both feature dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, but the Z Fold3's increased brightness makes it more usable outdoors. The Z Fold3 also includes Gorilla Glass Victus for improved durability.
Camera Comparison
While both phones offer versatile camera systems, the Z Fold3 features improvements in image processing and low-light performance. Both have a main wide-angle, ultrawide, and telephoto lens. The Z Fold3 also benefits from improved video stabilization. The under-display camera on the Z Fold3 is also slightly less noticeable than on the Z Fold2.
Performance
The Snapdragon 888 in the Z Fold3 provides a noticeable performance boost over the Z Fold2's Snapdragon 865. Expect faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and better gaming performance on the Z Fold3. Both phones handle everyday tasks with ease, but the Z Fold3 excels under heavy load.
Battery Life
The Z Fold3 has a slightly lower endurance rating (75h) compared to the Z Fold2 (81h), but real-world usage suggests the difference is minimal. Both phones support 25W wired charging, 11W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Battery life is generally good on both devices, easily lasting a full day for moderate users.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G? Those looking for a more budget-friendly entry into the foldable world and are less concerned with the absolute latest features. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G? Users who prioritize performance, a brighter display, water resistance, and the latest Snapdragon processor.