The first proper image of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, along with some key specs, may have just been leaked ahead of their expected reveal at the next Galaxy Unpacked event in two weeks.
Long-time leaker Evan Blass posted what looks like an official image of the two foldable phones and listed a suite of specs both will allegedly have. And going by the image, it appears that water resistance could be a key feature.
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There are no real surprises when it comes to the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Blass claims the phone will come with a 6.7-inch internal foldable display, along with a 1.9-inch cover display. And he also notes the Z Flip 3 will feature dual 12MP main camera lenses and a 10MP selfie camera.
Few upcoming foldable details.Z Flip3- 6.7" internal / 1.9" cover displays- 12MP x2 (rear) / 10MP (selfie)Z Fold3- 7.6" internal / 6.2" external displays- 12MP x3 (rear) / 10MP (cover selfie) / 4MP (main selfie)- 2 optional S-Pens (Pro and Fold Edition)Both phones IPX8 pic.twitter.com/lPm60yCzvtJuly 26, 2021
None of those specs are particularly innovative, if they’re accurate. The cover display is said to be larger than the 1.1-inch panel on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, but otherwise these claimed specs are the same as on the previous model.
As for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Blass claims the flagship foldable phone will come with a 7.6-inch inner display and a 6.2-inch outer display. In terms of photography, it looks like we might get three 12MP cameras on the rear of the phone, a 10MP selfie camera on the exterior cover screen, and a 4MP ‘main’ selfie camera.
Those specs are pretty much the same as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, with the exception of the 4MP selfie camera. The Fold 2 has a 10MP sensor in the main display, so dropping down to 4MP would seem like a downgrade. But it may be a hint that this camera is actually an under-display selfie snapper.
It's been rumored for some time that Samsung could adopt under-display cameras for its future phones, and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 could be the first to feature the innovative hardware.
In a phone that prioritizes display space and is set to already have a 'cover' selfie camera, an under-display camera for the Fold 3's main display would make sense. As would the reduced megapixel count, as using a lower-resolution lens could be a compromise for placing the camera under the display.
Having said that, the ZTE Axon 20 5G has a 32MP under-display camera, though that uses a mirror and transparent layers to snap photos and hasn't delivered stellar results. It could be that Samsung is instead going to opt for a different approach centered around a lower megapixel lens.
Could foldables finally be water resistant?
Blass also claims that both phones will have an IPX8 rating, which corroborates rumors that the foldables will offer water resistance this year. And the supposedly leaked image does show a splash of liquid over the two phones, which would rather heavily suggest there'll be water resistance. However if the IPX8 rating is true, it seems Samsung hasn’t had the phone rated for dust resistance.
Why that may be isn’t clear, though I’d guess that it’s much easier to protect the internal electronics from water than it is to seal the phone against dust — especially given all the moving parts in the hinge.
As for S Pen support, Samsung has already confirmed that this is coming along for the ride. However we haven’t got many specifics, and according to Blass only the Z Fold 3 will have support for the stylus — which matches up with previous rumors.
However, the phone is expected to support two different versions of the S Pen, namely the S Pen ‘Fold Edition’ and the S Pen Pro; the latter was previously announced alongside the Galaxy S21 Ultra in January.
Of course all of this information is unverified, and despite Blass’s reputation we shouldn’t put much stake in it just yet. Thankfully, Unpacked is happening on August 11, so we won’t have very long to wait until we hear it all from Samsung directly.
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