Similar to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 2, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is one of my favourite Android devices I’ve ever used. The smartphone-tablet hybrid is beautifully designed, feels great, works incredibly smoothly, and even functions with the ever-beloved S-Pen.
While the Z Fold 3 is around $500 cheaper than last year’s model at launch, the $2,270 price tag means it’s still a far cry from being an affordable smartphone.
That said, I’m the type of smartphone user that typically wants the best of the best — so if I had to purchase a new device today, it’d be the Z Fold 3, in all its magnificence. However, if you’re not the type of person who wants to carry around a literal tablet in your pocket, the Z Flip 3 or the S21 Ultra might be a better choice, as far as Samsung devices are concerned.
While the Z Fold 3 isn’t a significant leap over the Z Fold 2 (like the monumental jump in specs the Fold 2 had over the original Fold), the fact that it’s more affordable, feels higher quality, and is somehow actually IPX8 water-resistant makes it one of the first foldable smartphones with nearly no compromises.
The Z Fold 3 is definitely not for everyone, because it’s quite large — especially when it’s in a case. This year’s model weighs 271g compared to the Z Fold 2’s 282g. Even though it’s only a bit lighter on paper, the difference is pretty noticeable when you’re actually holding the Galaxy Z Fold 3. As a result, I no longer dread lugging around the Fold 3, like I did with the Fold 2.
Dimension-wise, the Z Fold 3 is only slightly shorter than its predecessor, despite being noticeably thinner. However, it’s still a very large phone that might be too big for some people’s pockets. For example, I was recently wearing denim shorts and noticed that the device was even too large for them. If you tend to shop in the “women’s section” at clothing stores, you’ll probably experience a similar issue.
“Just like the Z Fold 2 and Z Flip 3, the crease is still noticeable and I don’t think it will ever go away.”
Despite its size, I still really liked holding the Z Fold 3. Samsung kept the premium-feeling matte finish on the foldable device’s rear, unlike the Z Flip 3. This made it easier to avoid leaving fingerprints on the phone’s back glass, but you can still smudge it with greasy hands.
With the help of Samsung’s ‘Armor Aluminum’ frame, Z Fold 3’s body feels high-quality and very sturdy, especially when compared to the Fold 2. The South Korean company says that this new frame makes the foldable device 10 percent more durable than last year’s model.
The Z Fold 3 doesn’t include a headphone jack, like most modern smartphones. Other features worth noting include dual speakers at the top and the bottom of the device, a USB-C port, a SIM tray, and a trio of cameras on the rear.
Finally, this device is waterproof, so if you like to text while you’re showering, take a lot of boat rides, or often watch content while you’re in the kitchen cooking, you can finally do so safely with the Z Fold 3. Personally, I don’t tend to bring my phone near any liquid, but I did pour water on it to test out the water resistance and to take pictures of it wet. This is something you definitely couldn’t do with past foldable handsets.
Two screens are better than one
The Z Fold 3 includes two displays, a 6.2-inch ‘Cover display’ with an 832 x 2268 pixel resolution, and a larger 7.6-inch foldable display with a 1768 x 2208 pixel resolution. Both screens offer a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, which is an improvement over last year’s model; only the larger screen on the Z Fold 2 featured this higher refresh rate.
The Z Fold 3’s ‘Cover display’ is useful for quick tasks like shuffling music, scrolling through Instagram, swiping on Tinder, replying to texts, and reading an article or two. The screen isn’t any larger, and it offers the same awkward 25:9 aspect ratio as the Fold 2’s, but I found that I really didn’t mind using the smaller display — and I think that had to do with the higher refresh rate.
What’s far more impressive this time around is the Z Fold 3’s larger screen. Samsung Display says that the Z Fold 3 uses new Eco 2 OLED screen technology, which ditches the plastic polarizing layer that was on the Z Fold 2. Without that extra layer on top of Samsung’s Ultra-Thin Glass technology and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) screen protector, the phone’s display really feels like glass now. Still, around the crease, however, the illusion falls apart a bit. This area of the display feels a bit plasticky, but it’s not that bad.
What’s even more exciting than the glassier screen is the pretty cool Under Display Camera (UDC). Samsung hid the front-facing camera cutout by placing display pixels over the camera lens. When your screen is displaying a white background, the pixels on top of the lens are very noticeable and look weird, which is something I noted in my hands-on. However, the UDC shines when you’re consuming media. While the pixels are still there if you look for them, they’re a lot easier to ignore compared to a hole-punch camera.
Speaking of that, even without a super high pixel resolution, I really enjoyed the viewing experience offered by the Z Fold 3. I watched several episodes of Good Girls on Netflix, videos on YouTube, and play games of Wild Rift. Colour accuracy was good, the display got as bright as I needed even on sunny days, and everything was pleasing to the eye.
The crease is here to stay
Just like the Z Fold 2 and Z Flip 3, the crease is still noticeable and I don’t think it will ever go away, as the screen needs to fold. Given this is the 3rd-gen Fold, if you’re purchasing a phone with a foldable display, you should expect it to include a crease. Just like last year, I forgot it was even there for the most part, especially when consuming media.
Besides, this phone is so much more than its crease.
It just makes sense
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 runs One UI 3.1.1 on top of Android 11 and offers an incredibly smooth user interface experience.
My favourite example of this is that Samsung’s new Labs setting — which allows users to try experimental features — lets you customize the aspect ratio of an app. An issue I had with the original Z Fold 2 is that a lot of apps aren’t designed for such a large display. The main culprit for me was the Instagram app: it only took up the middle of the display, which caused issues when trying to watch stories. Now, you can force the app to utilize the Fold 3’s whole display, making the experience much better.
Another new feature I loved was the ability to pin all of your apps to the side of your screen. This feature turns your ‘Edge Panel’ into a taskbar and lets users quickly access their apps without having to pull on the edge of the display. Further, it also gives you access to all your apps with a new icon. Tapping that icon brings up all of your apps in a pop-up window, so you don’t have to stop what you’re doing and quickly switch to another app. This makes multi-tasking with the Z Fold 3 an absolute breeze. Additionally, you can now force every single app on your device to go split-screen. I found this especially useful for browsing the internet or Instagram while watching Netflix.
Another annoyance I experienced with the Z Fold 2 was that with most apps, you can’t fold the device and only watch content on the top half of the display. Again, with the new Labs setting, I’m able to change that. Now, I can force an app, like Netflix, to show the play/pause controls on the bottom half of the screen and the content on the top half. I really enjoyed doing this, as it allowed me to watch videos during my stretching routine and when lying down in bed without needing to hold the device.
It’s also worth noting that with the most recent update, many of these features are now available on the Z Fold 2.
Mini laptop in your pocket
The Z Fold 3 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and 12GB of RAM, which ensures the phone runs incredibly smoothly with no delays.
I was able to run about 10 apps in the background, which doesn’t seem like a lot considering the amount of RAM, but it was barely noticeable. For example, apps open and load so quickly that I thought they were already running in the background. The only slowdown I experienced is when I was on the Cover screen and wanted to switch over to the main display while keeping the app open. Apps would typically need to close and re-open.
Additionally, I was able to play League of Legends: Wild Rift at its highest settings at 120fps and it ran beautifully with no hiccups. I played several matches, and I didn’t notice the smartphone warm up at all.
I ran a benchmarking test with GeekBench and the Z Fold 3 had a single-core score of 1,109 and a multi-core score of 3,185. To put this in perspective, the Z Fold 2 offered a single-core score of 937 and a multi-core score of 3,051; whereas, the S21 Ultra offered a multi-core score of 3,411 and a single-core score of 1,108. I don’t put much weight into benchmarks, but these are pretty favourable for an Android device.
“Though the Z Fold 3’s outside 10-megapixel is passable for selfies, the resulting images also aren’t detailed and it makes my skin a bit too bright.”
Unfortunately, the Z Fold 3’s battery life is a bit below average. I was able to squeeze four and a half to five hours of screen-on time, and the device would last the whole day, typically until about 11am the following day. It’s definitely not the best battery available, but it was more dependable than the Z Flip 3 and I wasn’t worried about bringing my charger with me when I went out.
Maybe the UDC isn’t needed?
Samsung’s cameras this time around aren’t that different from previous devices. There are five different options to choose from: a trio of 12-megapixel shooters on the back, the Cover screen’s hole-punch camera, and the UDC on the main screen.
While the UDC is cool, it’s pretty unnecessary when there are so many other options. It’s more of a webcam for video conferencing and not a great one at that. While pictures taken with it are too bright and lack detail, you can just ignore it and take selfies with the Z Fold 3’s several other cameras.
Though the Z Fold 3’s outside 10-megapixel is passable for selfies, the resulting images also aren’t detailed and it makes my skin a bit too bright — but it’s still better than the UDC. And again, thankfully, there’s the trio of cameras on the Z Fold 3’s rear that work together with the Cover display, so you can still take pretty good selfies.
With these cameras, pictures are sharp, bright and vivid. The overall look of the images is pretty similar to the company’s other devices, and at this point, you either like the look of Samsung’s style of photos or hate it. I don’t mind it because I like the vibrancy of the pictures, but they aren’t as true-to-life as the images a smartphone like the iPhone 12 Pro shoots. Selfies with these shooters are far better; you can better make out hair follicles on my beard and the colour accuracy is far more on point. The images aren’t perfect, but they’re way better than a lot of other high-end smartphones.
With that in mind, it’s pretty laughable that the Z Fold 3 only has a 2X zoom for a phone that costs $2,269. For example, even 2020’s S20 Ultra featured a 4x zoom. If you want a Samsung phone with way more zoom, you should consider the S21 Ultra.
S Pen accessory
Like the S21 Ultra, you can use Samsung’s S Pen stylus with the Z Fold 3. However, you’ll need to purchase it and a case holder separately. I’m not a fan of the case because it covers the Cover display, but it also offers the phone a bit more protection.
I used the S Pen Fold edition, which has a 1.5mm tip and low latency. This S Pen lacks ‘Air Actions’ — you’ll need the S Pen Pro to get those features, which I didn’t get to try out. The overall experience is smooth and feels like using a stylus on a tablet, but the latency doesn’t compare to the Note 20 Ultra. That said, it doesn’t lag that much and is still very usable.
However, oddly enough, the S Pen doesn’t work on the Cover screen.
If you want the S Pen Fold edition, you’ll need to spend $59.99, and Samsung Canada isn’t offering the case that doubles as a holder yet.
The S Pen Pro with Bluetooth costs $129.99 and will work with other Samsung devices, including tablets, and allows for Air actions.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
___
Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
