I love the hell out of my Galaxy Z Fold3, and Prime Day knocks $710 off its price
One of the best benefits of reviewing all the different smartphones is having the context to choose exactly what I want when I buy one for myself. Last year, my big purchase was theGalaxy Z Fold3, which marked a big change in attitude for a one-time folding phone critic. But after reviewing theGalaxy Z Fold2andGalaxy Z Flip3, I knew I had to have one. Even at $1,800 for the base model, I don’t regret my purchase one bit. But right now, you can get one for over $700 less as part of theAmazon Prime Dayfestivities. I know that’s still a lot of money, and not everyone can afford it. But if you’ve been tempted by the idea, I urge you to consider it.
The Z Fold3 isn’t for everyone, and not just because of the price tag. For one, it’s a big and heavy unit and won’t be ideal for smaller pockets or tighter clothing. No matter how you hold it or use it, folded or unfolded, it’s at least a little awkward to hold, and you just can’t get around that. The interior display is arguably more delicate than a normal phone is as well. While Samsung did add water resistance last year, and it uses ultra-thin glass in its design, the screen is stillbasicallyplastic on the surface-wearing parts, so be careful. I’ve yet to get any major gouges, but there are plenty of little light scratches on mine.
If you can accept those unarguable disadvantages, I think the Z Fold3 is the best smartphone you can get if you need to be productive on the go. The big screen doesn’t just mean seeing more in each individual app; it also means a bigger and better view when multitasking. If you want to use two apps side-by-side — like checking email and Teams/Slack, dropping items in a project manager from your CRM, or some other multi-app workflow — then it’s almost like having two normal-sized phones right next to each other.
As a joke, I trieddoing my whole job for a day from the Galaxy Z Fold2, and itactually worked. If you can get by on something like an iPad, the Z Fold3 is basically like that, but with Android’s multitasking advantages and time-saving benefits, like the intents system. I wouldn’t personally buy an Android tablet by itself, but a phone that’s basically a tablet when you need it to be one is averydifferent story.
Buy the Galaxy Z Fold3 for $710 off
Starting at $1,090 on Amazon
The Z Fold3 may be the best phone a workaholic can get, but it can be fun for play, too. The big screen, with its more square-ish aspect ratio, is surprisingly rad for emulating older game titles or viewing media like photos (typically captured in 3:2), but it’s also the best way to play a lot of more modern mobile games like Civ VI. Its sheer size even means just watching videos gives you a bigger picture, and that’s been handy for me on more than one flight.
Phones are like cars. There’s no one “best” model; it just depends on what you need. If you do a lot of work on the go and the advantages of a big screen are self-evident, the Z Fold3 is a fantastic choice and one of my favorite smartphones out there. I bought mine outright for full price at launch and haven’t regretted it the smallest bit. Even with a new model likely landing in the coming months, today’s Prime Day discount makes it a worthy buy.
Right now, it’s supposed to be a Deal of the Day, which means it may not last too long. The current promo covers all versions offering $710 off for both the 256GB and 512GB models in silver, black, and green. (Having handled all three colors, I think silver is the best one.) If you want my advice, skip the S Pen case as it doesn’t offer the best design, though if youreallywant a stylus, it might be worth buying one — separately from this deal.
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