We’re just days away from the official release of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G, and already, Samsung and the popular service providers are offering great pre-order and upgrade deals on foldable smartphone ($1,800 for the 256GB model) which ships on August 27.
Not to be confused with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G which is being released on the same day, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 offers a larger (7.6”) Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2208 x 1768) screen and 6.2” Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2268 x 832) Cover Screen. It also starts with 256GB of internal storage, and you can double that to 512GB for an extra $100. Aside from its flexible OLED that makes all of this possible, one killer feature of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is its S Pen compatibility, so you can write directly on the screen using Samsung’s proprietary stylus.
Instead of purchasing the phone outright, check out the awesome financing deals being offered by Samsung, Best Buy, AT&T and other popular wireless providers and retailers. Especially if you finance the phone and have an eligible trade-in, you could wind up with a highly discounted (or free) state-of-the-art foldable smartphone, with your choice between three casing colors: silver, green, or black.
Best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Pre-Order Deals
Surf over to Samsung’s website to get a $200 instant credit for accessories, plus up to $800 credit when you trade in an eligible phone. A portion of the $150 instant credit can be used to instantly upgrade the phone’s memory to 512GB.
This deal includes the first 12 months of Samsung Care+ included for free to help protect the phone. (A $12.99 per month charge for Samsung Care+ applies for the remaining months of the financing period.)
Pre-order or purchase the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G directly from Samsung, and you’ll also receive three months of Spotify Premium, four free months of YouTube Premium and six free months of SiriusXM streaming.
Best Buy
Best Buy is another great place for seeking out a stellar deal on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Save up to $400.00 instantly when you pre-order and activate the new phone, plus as a bonus, get up to $200 Samsung Credit (for qualifying new and existing customers).
Alternatively, when pre-ordering and activating the phone from Best Buy–with AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon as your chosen service provider–you can save between $1,000 and $1,400 with a qualified trade-in and activation.
AT&T
If AT&T is your preferred service provider, it’s offering up to $1,000 in bill credits, plus up to $350 more in bill credits when you take advantage of a qualifying installment plan with an eligible AT&T unlimited plan, plus trade-in an eligible smartphone. Some restrictions apply.
With the pricing discounts when you finance the phone with an AT&T Installment Plan, the monthly difference between the Z Fold3 5G 256GB and 512GB model is just $2.78/month, so it’s a great strategy to go with the additional storage space.
US Cellular
For existing customers, US Cellular is offering up to $1200 off any 5G smartphone, including the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G (with no trade-in required), along with a $200 Samsung Credit when you sign up for an Unlimited Even Better service plan, which requires credit approval and commitment to a 30-month service plan.
For new and qualified US Cellular customers with an eligible trade-in who also sign up for a 30-month service plan, you can score a free Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G with $200 in Samsung Credit, but you’ll need to pre-order ahead of release day to take advantage.
What to Expect from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
It has been less than a year since the debut of the Galaxy Z Fold2, but regardless of how impressive this foldable phone has turned out to be, Samsung won’t be deterred from quickly rendering it obsolete with the next iteration of this flagship phone which offers some impressive features and functions, not to mention 5G compatibility.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G unfolds from a phone into a small tablet. You can pre-order one now.
Samsung
If you saw our review of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 you’ll know that we were quite pleased with the handset; it was thoughtfully designed in ways that made the foldable screen practical and helpful rather than just a high-tech gimmick.
The new Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G appears poised to build on that foundation with some really smart incremental improvements—look for a more rugged and waterproof design, a display uninterrupted by a camera notch, and even S Pen compatibility.
More About the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G is an incremental improvement over the Fold 2 in a wealth of ways, some small and some large. Both Fold smartphones have a fully usable front, or “cover” screen that you can use without unfolding the handset, and the Fold 3 amps up the 6.2-inch HD+ display with Dynamic AMOLED technology—now a slightly higher pixel count and a fast 120Hz refresh rate that matches the refresh rate of the main screen.
Perhaps the coolest innovation in the Fold 3, though, is the new Under camera—the 7.6-inch main display is uninterrupted by any sort of camera notch because the camera sits under the display. Running a close second on the innovation front: The Fold 3 works with the S Pen, meaning the Fold 3 doesn’t just look like a handheld tablet; it works very much like one as well, allowing for easy multitasking, for example.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G works with the S Pen.
Samsung
The Hideaway Hinge—the tech that allows it to unfold so seamlessly, and which first appeared in folding devices starting with the Galaxy Z Flip—is thinner than the version in the Fold 2. Inside, the hinge features shorter bristles, which Samsung claims better repels dust and other particles that extend the life and durability of the device—all the way to 200,000 folds as seen in testing. That means the hinge should be able to withstand about 100 folds a day, every day, for five years.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 now has IPX8 water resistance and is made with so-called Armor Aluminum—the strongest aluminum ever used on a Galaxy smartphone. And the front screen is made with the even tougher Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. It’s ever-so-slightly lighter (271g vs. 282 g).
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G has multiple display modes to get the most out of the large display.
Samsung
While some people consider the foldable aspect of the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G to be something of a gimmick, if you’re looking for a powerful, state-of-the-art smartphone that gives you access to two screens simultaneously, use of a stylus, and everything else the Android operating system has to offer, this is definitely a smartphone worth checking out firsthand. And since Samsung and other service carriers offer a 21-day, worry-free trial for the new phone, you really have nothing to lose by pre-ordering your device today.
