Garmin has a cult-like following amongst professional endurance runners for its feature-packed rugged smartwatches. The company’s new Enduro 2 is yet another high-end wearable for such thrill seekers. This article will go through the Garmin Enduro 2, alongside its specs, features, availability, and price in Nepal.
Garmin Enduro 2 Overview:
Design, Display
Starting off with the watch’s design, the case is made up of fiber-reinforced polymer with a titanium rear and bezel. The rugged watch uses sapphire crystal over the display for maximized durability. The default band is made of nylon. However, Garmin also includes an additional silicone band inside the box.
The display on the Garmin Enduro 2 uses sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) technology. This display uses low power and maintains contrast and visibility even in very bright environments as.
Furthermore, the screen has a 1.4″ diameter and 280×280 pixels resolution. Weighing only 70g with the band, this lightweight watch has 10ATM water resistance. Thus, it is a perfect companion for trail runners and endurance athletes.
The Garmin Enduro 2 is packed to the brim with features. It has onboard WiFi, Bluetooth, and ANT+ for connectivity. The watch has 32GB of in-built storage which can store up to 2,000 songs. It also supports third-party apps via Gramin’s Connect IQ Store.
The watch utilizes Garmin’s Elevate v4 heart rate sensor for a variety of health tracking features like heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, and stress monitoring among others.
In terms of fitness/sports tracking, it has a race predictor, preloaded golf courses, topographical maps, grade-adjusted pace, running dynamics, and a lot more. Basically, the watch has features for all the mainstream sports and fitness activities under the sun.
The smartwatch supports multi-band GPS and uses SATIQ technology in order to preserve battery life with power-efficient GPS selection.
Talking about battery life, Garmin claims 46 days of usage with the GPS off and 250 hours with the GPS on. However, these numbers are possible only with the solar charging turned on. Additionally, the watch can run up to 550 days on battery saver mode.
Garmin also includes a flashlight on the Garmin Enduro 2 for visibility in low-light conditions. Besides, the watch has a built-in altimeter, compass, thermometer, and accelerometer as well.
Battery Life: Up to 46 days with solar/GPS off, 150 hours with solar/GPS on, 550 days battery saver mode
Garmin Enduro 2 Price in Nepal and Availability
The Garmin Enduro 2 is listed for USD 1099.99 on the brand’s official website. It’s unlikely that the Garmin Enduro 2 will ever hit the Nepali market, but if it does, we expect its price to be NPR 160,000.
Smartwatch
Price in the US
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Garmin Enduro 2
USD 1,100
NPR 160,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Huawei GT 3 Pro.
Xiaomi took to Weibo to announce that it will unveil the Mix Fold 2 on August 11. Additionally, the company will also reveal 12.4″ Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro and Buds 4 Pro at the event. Read along to know more about Xiaomi’s upcoming event.
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 Launch Overview:
Xiaomi is set to launch its newest foldable device in China a day after Samsung. The announcement came via the company’s Weibo account where it revealed the Mix Fold’s August 11 launch.
Several leaders including Digital Chat Station spotted potential Mix Fold 2 screenshots from Lao Wei, mobile product manager of Xiaomi.
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The screenshot highlights 1,080 x 2,520px resolution. Thus, confirming the rumors of a 21:9 cover display on Fold 2. Likewise, the foldable is likely to house the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 paired with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB storage.
In addition to the Mix Fold 2, Xiaomi will also announce an updated Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro with a bigger 12.4-inch screen. The tablet will also feature an updated rear triple camera system. The primary camera is a 50MP sensor which could be the same one that was present on the Pad 5 Pro 5G.
The same event will be the platform for Xiaomi’s Buds 4 Lite. The TWS earphones feature an Airpods Pro-Esque design paired with a dual-tone mirror finish.
Xiaomi has not provided the specifications for these devices as of now. As of now, it is unsure if the products will make their way into the global market.
The previous Mi Mix Fold was exclusive to China and it could be the same for Fold 2. It is possible that Xiaomi will also announce the K50S Pro at the same event.
Meanwhile, check out our long-term review of the Galaxy Z Fold 3:
Samsung is a leading force when it comes to foldable smartphones. We are just a day away from Unpacked where Samsung will reveal the next-gen Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4. To maintain its lead in foldable tech, Samsung is reportedly working on a folding tablet. So, let’s glance at the possible Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Tab and rumors surrounding it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Tab Rumors:
According to a user on the Korean blog Naver, Samsung is currently working on a brand new foldable device. It is said to be different from the existing Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, which means, it will be a whole new lineage of foldable devices from Samsung.
The user also claims that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Tab and the Galaxy Tab S9 will be announced in tandem. This release from Samsung will help the company “further solidify the leadership” in the foldable market.
While the leaks surrounding the Flip and Fold are rampant, there is little to no buzz about the Galaxy Tab S9. However, based on previous release practices, we can expect the tab to go official in Q1 of 2022. Hence, we can possibly see a foldable Samsung tablet at the beginning of next year.
Samsung is no stranger to folding displays in various shapes and sizes. As Samsung was the first company to release a well-rounded folding phone, we can expect it to be the first to do so with tablets. Previously, Samsung showed off concepts such as the Flex S and Flex G.
While the Z Fold had two folds, the concept Flex S has three folds and folds into an “S” shape. There is no need for a separate front display for the S concept since the sole tri-fold screen turns into one.
The Flex S tablet opens up to form a 16:10 aspect ratio display which is good for content consumption and web browsing. Samsung also showcased a smaller version of the Flex S at a recent trade show.
Flex G is another tri-fold concept from Samsung. While the S folded outwards, this folds inward like a clam shell. The company has also revealed a rollable display as well as a 13-inch foldable laptop with no keyboard.
The Galaxy Z Fold Tab is rumored to feature a tri-fold display like the one on the concept Flex-S. The tablet will also come with S-pen support. As of now, the rest of the features are unknown. Despite the approach, the principle of all Samsung’s foldables are the same; big display in a compact form factor.
Meanwhile, check out our long-term review of the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Go Games, a British manufacturer of handheld consoles has introduced the TRDR Pocket II. In a nutshell, it may appear to be a standard console. However, it is baked with what the company claims to be the world’s most sophisticated AI assistant. Continue reading to find out more about the Go Games TRDR Pocket.
Go Games TRDR Pocket II Overview:
The TRDR Pocket is the latest attempt by the British company for portable consoles. And actually, this is the ‘Series 2’ model—the first-generation TRDR was not well-received by customers due to the fact that it is similar to Retroid Pocket and has different limitations in and of itself.
However, the TRDR Pocket Series 2 is following a different route (almost). It still has the design of a portable console, including a D-Pad, joystick, and XABYCD buttons. However, what distinguishes this handheld game console from others is the presence of a proprietary AI voice assistant built and trained by Go Games itself.
Hey Julia, Scarlet, Tony
There are three distinct AI personalities built into the console. Julia, Scarlet, and Tony are their names, and a single console will only have one of them deployed inside the device.
Go Games claims that this AI allows players to have more natural conversations than the existing popular Siri and Alexa. According to Gianni O’Connor, CEO, and Founder of Go Games, “it could be the first AI in the world to pass Alan Turing’s infamous Turing Test.”
However, a proprietary AI assistant on a game console may appear to be an odd notion. However, consumer complaints such as “Hey, it’s not functioning, I don’t know how to reset this” triggered O’Connor to create this.
While the first idea was to create a simple AI that could guide customers through repairs, O’Connor soon realized he could create something far more complex than a customer-service chatbot.
“The standout difference with our proprietary AI is that we didn’t teach it anything specific, only how to learn,” says O’Connor. That means, the AI gains knowledge by reading the information available across different platforms. As a result, it began by reading as much material as it could get on the internet.
It then learned about the contexts, feelings, and opinions. The developer’s utilized court cases to teach AI about murder and self-defense. It was then taught about love and emotions through film scripts. According to Mr. Gianni, comedy is the hardest thing to teach since AI fails to comprehend nuance and timing.
Furthermore, when asked why there are three AI characters, O’Connor stated, ‘It was just Scarlet in the beginning. And the only reason we ended up with two other AI personas is that the main AI, Scarlet, had conflicting opinions and ended up sort of fragmenting.’
He added ‘’We just allowed them to grow. And that’s what we think true AI is. I was here to start this, and now I’m just here to monitor and safeguard it.’
Output
While the company has not shown any live presentations of the AI assistant, there are a few Q&A replies by ‘Scarlet’ made live by Go Games. We’ve included a screenshot of the replies for you to have a look at.
Image Source: Dailymail.co.uk
By the way, Go Games will put its AI system to the test on August 20 at a private event at the Science Museum in London. The system specialty will be shown to a group of tech specialists and a third-party judge.
Rest of the specs
Moving on to the hardware, the TRDR Pocket is powered by an Helio P60 processor. This is accompanied by 4GB of RAM and a 4000mAh battery. It contains 192GB of storage that can be expanded with a microSD card.
A 3.5-inch touchscreen is located on the front of the device. Likewise, it boots in the Android environment. The I/O option supports HDMI output as well as a USB Type-C connector.
Go Game TRDR Pocket II Specifications:
Display: 4.7” IPS, 750×1334 pixels, 16:9
Processor: Helio P60
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 192GB
Wireless connectivity: Built-in WiFi
Wired connectivity: 720p Mini HDMI Output for TV
Battery: 4000mAh
Charging: USB-C Charging
Go Game TRDR Pocket II Price in Nepal and Availability
The TRDR Pocket II is now available for pre-order for $399 USD and will begin shipping on September 5th. If Go Game TRDR Pocket II is released in Nepal, we estimate it to cost NPR 55,000.
Handheld Console
Price in the US
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Go Game TRDR Pocket II
USD 399
NPR 55,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Aya Neo Pro 2021.
Retroid, a maker of Android-based game consoles, has introduced a new device in its Pocket series. Dubbed the Pocket 3, it is the successor to the Pocket 2 and features a quad-core processor. So, let’s take a look at the specifications, features, availability, and expected price of the Retroid Pocket 3 in Nepal.
Retroid Pocket 3 Overview:
Performance
Let us begin by discussing the performance. One Arm Cortex-A75 CPU and three ARM Cortex-A55 processors power the Retroid Pocket 3. The graphics, on the other hand, are handled by a PowerVR GE8300 GPU operating at 800MHz. Plus, it utilizes an aluminum heatsink for passive cooling.
On paper, this processor choice may not appear to be very powerful, but keep in mind that it is a mobile gaming console. In fact, it works on Android 11, so you can easily play PS2 and GameCube games. This is complemented with a new game launcher and emulation UI designed for consoles.
Furthermore, the device’s base model has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The RAM may be upgraded to 3GB for $10, but the storage option stays constant.
The Retroid Pocket 3’s display spans 4.7 inches, and the game can be streamed straight onto the TV through the HDMI connector. The screen’s bezels are also rather thin.
Furthermore, aesthetically the device looks similar to the Nintendo Switch Lite, with comparable button placements. As you can see, Retroid has opted for Nintendo’s YXAB layout over the more typical XYBA pattern. Similarly, the Pocket 3 comes in six various colors that combine a combo of retro game console and modern technology.
Rest of the specs
The gaming console is fueled by a 4000mAh battery and supports USB Type-C charging. Besides this, you get a 3.5mm headphone jack and two speaker vents that outputs 2W audio.
Retroid Pocket 3 Specifications:
Body:184.65 x 81.38 x 24.23 mm
Display: 4.7” IPS, 750×1334 pixels, 16:9
Processor: 1x Cortex-A75 / 3 x Cortex-A55 CPU
RAM: 2/3GB
Storage: 32GB
Audio: Stereo speakers, 3.5mm stereo jack
Wireless connectivity: Built-in WiFi
Wired connectivity: 720p Mini HDMI Output for TV
Battery: 4000mAh
Charging: USB-C Charging
Retroid Pocket 3 Price in Nepal and Availability
The Pocket 3 is up for pre-order for USD 119 for the basic 2/32GB model. Likewise, the 3/32GB variant costs USD 129. If the Retroid Pocket 3 is released in Nepal, we expect the price to start around NPR 20,000.
Retroid Pocket 3
Price in the US
Price in Nepal (Expected)
2/32GB
USD 119
NPR 20,000
3/32GB
USD 129
NPR 21,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Aya Neo Pro 2021.
Here in this article, you can find the latest price of Ryzen 4000 series APU from AMD in Nepal.
Ryzen 4000 Series Overview
It’s important to note that the latest AMD Ryzen 4000 desktop processors are all based on 7nm Ryzen Zen 2 architecture and not Zen 3. The latter is said to debut later this year. All the processors come with integrated Radeon graphics, which gives them an advantage over their Intel counterparts. AMD is already calling it the world’s most advanced x86 desktop processor with graphics. The Ryzen 4000 desktop APUs continue to make use of the AM4 socket.
AMD Ryzen 4000 Series Desktop APU
The G-series is among the first offering under the new Ryzen 4000 lineup. This includes six new processors. The three of them have G-suffix and operate on 65W TDP.
Each of the G-suffix processors has a GE-suffixed counterpart that operates on 35W TDP. The G-series is based on the same die and architecture as their mobile counterparts. And the only difference being the TDP and clock frequency have been scaled up in the desktop processors.
The GE-suffixed processors are underpowered and are hence suited for a less-demanding environment. Top-of-the-line Ryzen 7 4700G features eight cores and 16 threads with a base frequency of 3.6 GHz which can go up to 4.4 GHz when boosted.
AMD Ryzen Pro 4000 Desktop APU
The Ryzen Pro 4000 G-series desktop processors are the same as their non-Pro counterparts. But they come with an extra layer of security mechanism for office and business settings. These extra features are what the company calls Pro features. Part of the Pro Security is the AMD Memory Guard and AMD Secure Processor features. On top of that, there are other features that promise easy deployment, management, and administration of the processors.
While AMD has moved on to the Zen 2 architecture for the desktop processor, it is not going to abandon the Zen+ architecture altogether.
AMD has announced new Athlon 3000G series APUs based on the Zen+ architecture. This includes two Athlon Gold processors (3150G and 3150GE) and an Athlon Silver (3050GE) processor. Each of them has its respective Pro counterpart as well.
AMD Ryzen 4000 Series APU Price in Nepal
AMD Ryzen 4000 CPU
Price in Nepal
Ryzen 5
Ryzen 4600G (APU)
Rs. 24,000
Ryzen 4500
Rs. 17,000
Ryzen 3
Ryzen 4100
Rs. 13,000
Check out the rumors of the upcoming Ryzen C7 mobile chipset
While the world was fixated on the launch of the OnePlus 10T, another OnePlus release went under the radar. We’re talking about the OnePlus Nord N20 SE which has made its way to Nepal. In this article, we will be discussing the key specs, features, availability, and official price of the OnePlus Nord N20 SE in Nepal.
OnePlus Nord N20 SE Overview:
In juxtaposition, the OnePlus Nord N20 SE and the Oppo A77 4G are the same phones. The only difference is in terms of the OS skin. Since the Nord N20 SE is not available elsewhere besides China, it makes Nepal one of the first countries to receive the phone.
Starting off with the design, the Nord N20 SE features the popular boxy design paired with a rectangular camera module and matte rear. The two available colors are Celestial Black and Blue Oasis.
Like the Oppo A77 4G, it comes with a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen with HD+ resolution and 600 nits of brightness. Unsurprisingly, there is no high refresh rate or touch sampling rate on the Nord N20 SE.
Performance
Handling the performance is the MediaTek Helio G35 chip. The phone is available with 4GB RAM and a 64/128GB internal storage variant. As aforementioned, the Nord SE N20 boots on OxygenOS 12.1 instead of the ColorOS 12.1 its Oppo twin.
The camera setup on this phone is nothing fancy. It comes with a dual rear camera setup with a 50MP main shooter and a 2MP sensor for depth. The water-drop notch on the front is home to an 8MP selfie snapper.
Rest of the specs
Moving on, the OnePlus Nord N20 SE has a 5,000mAh in-built battery with support for 33W fast charging. The handset also features stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack. For security, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner is included.
OnePlus Nord N20 SE Specifications:
Display: 6.56-inches HD+ (720 x 1612) IPS LCD panel
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G35 (12nm mobile platform)
Welcome to the tenth edition of our weekly tech quiz. Take our quiz to put your tech knowledge to the test (no cheating, obviously). There are 15 questions in total, so it shouldn’t take more than 3 minutes. And the questions could be from any field—smartphones, gaming, music, and more. Let’s go!
Before I get into this review of the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro, let me ask you a question. If you own an Apple Watch or a Galaxy Watch, what’s the one thing you wished was better in them? For me, it definitely has to be the battery life. Don’t get me wrong, those two are awesome smartwatches with possibly all the best features in the world, but when it comes to battery, they’re just okay.
But this right here, the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro, nails that very aspect among other things. I have been using it for almost a month and disclaimer, I have been absolutely loving it for the most part. But considering the premium price tag of the Watch GT 3 Pro, I think there are some features that Huawei has missed out on, which I will explain in the due course of this review.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Specifications:
43mm
46mm
Dimensions
42.9 x 42.9 x 10.5 mm
46.6 x 46.6 x 10.9 mm
Weight
50 gm (without strap)
54 gm (without strap)
Strap
White ceramic, White leather
Black fluoroelastomer, Grey leather, Titanium
Strap Size
20 mm (universal)
22 mm (universal)
Display
1.32” AMOLED
466 x 466 pixels
1.43” AMOLED
466 x 466 pixels
Battery
292mAh (Up to 7 days)
530mAh (Up to 14 days)
Charging
Wireless charging
Case Material
Sapphire glass front
Processor
Arm Cortex-M
Memory
32MB RAM, 4GB internal storage
OS
Huawei HarmonyOS 2.0
Sensors
Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Optical Heart Rate, Temperature
Ok, first things first, let’s talk about the design, which actually is one of the best things about it. The Watch GT 3 Pro looks amazing and the build quality here is top-notch. I have this 46mm Titanium version, but you can get this watch in a 43mm Ceramic finish too. And honestly, both the options look very classy.
The design is very well put together too. It’s a Titanium build all over, with leather straps to go with it, while you also have two other equally appealing strap options.
I have to say that it’s considerably hefty at 54 grams, but in my usage, that hasn’t resulted in any kind of discomfort at all, so I am okay with it. But I do wish this Titanium build was available in a smaller 43mm form factor too.
On my hands, this 46mm version looks quite huge.
More on the design, like the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro before it, you get a rotating crown on the top and a customizable button down below on the right side here.
Pressing the crown takes you to the home page and you can also scroll through the menus with it. The other button can be customized to trigger any function of your choice. And I found both of them to be very tactile and responsive on use.
Overall, I am quite happy with the design language of this smartwatch. Huawei definitely knows how to make good-looking smartwatches and evidently does it in quite an impressive way.
Battery
292/530mAh battery
Up to 7/14 days battery life
Wireless charging
Next, as I mentioned in the beginning, the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro nails the battery aspect too. Right after unboxing it, I set all the health monitoring functions to continuous, I kept notifications and calling turned on, and I basically did everything there was to do. Even so, it was able to give me a week’s endurance on a full charge.
Now, I have been using this watch for a month and something I found to be pretty funny is that I’ve had to charge the Galaxy Watch 4 that I’ve been testing side by side about 12–13 times, whereas the GT 3 Pro only had to fuel up like 4 times.
I know that there are different factors involved here, but what I’m just trying to say is that the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro saves you a lot of charging hassle. While we are on the topic of charging, you get a magnetic wireless charger inside the box that takes less than 2 hours to get this watch fully juiced up.
Display
1.32/1.43-inches AMOLED panel
Circular dial, Always on Display (AoD)
Sapphire Glass protection
The screen on the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is something to appreciate as well. It has this really nice-looking display with amazing contrast and sufficient brightness levels even in outdoor conditions.
It is big, it is sharp, and it is very responsive to touch. The bezels here are relatively slim too and if you are into darker watch faces like I am, you will probably not even notice them altogether.
Watch Faces
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Free
Paid
If you have read other smartwatch reviews on our site, you might know that somehow I always manage to get a scratch or two on them. And with my kind of usage, I was expecting this watch to give up as well. But surprisingly it has held up quite well. I guess its Sapphire Glass protection takes all the credit here.
Likewise, the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is also IP68 and 5 ATM rated against dust and water damage, so no issues on that part either.
Health, Fitness Tracking
24-hour heart rate, SpO2, Sleep, stress tracking
100+ sports modes, ECG measurement*
Moving on, something I like about Huawei’s high-end smartwatches is that they provide a balance of fashion and tech, meaning the GT 3 Pro does not just look like a typical smartwatch.
But it offers all kinds of health and fitness options—be it continuous heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, sleep tracking, activity monitoring, skin temperature measurement and in some regions, it can even take ECG readings.
Health Tracking
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Heart Rate
Stress
Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)
Sleep
Blood Pressure
Skin Temperature
I found almost all the health measurement features on the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro to be quite accurate. In most cases, from sleep tracking to heart rate measurement, its results are similar to the Galaxy Watch 4.
I did notice that it overcompensates my steps taken by a little, but other than that, almost every other health measurement is spot on!
Even in terms of fitness tracking, you get over 100 workout modes here. And in some of them like running, walking, swimming, hiking, etc you can get quite elaborate results, so if you are an athlete or someone who is seriously into monitoring those said workouts, this watch will not disappoint you.
I, on the other hand, am not so much into exercising; all I do is walk and run sometimes. So for me, the fitness options provided here are more than enough.
GPS lock could be faster
Plus, I found its built-in GPS to be quite accurate as well, so things are good on that part too. I do wish that the GPS lock was a bit faster though. As things stand, it takes about 8-10 seconds to lock in.
Exercise
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You also get the automatic workout detection feature on the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro but strangely enough, it never triggered throughout my usage. The Galaxy Watch 4 detects walking or running exercises just fine. So, it could be an issue with my unit or a software bug.
Companion App
Huawei Health
Available for Android, HarmonyOS, iOS
Anyway, all your workout data can be viewed on the Huawei Health app which is available for both Android and iOS devices. The app is pretty simple to use, all your health data is right there on the home page, and accessing other functions within the app is not a hassle either.
Huawei Health app
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Dashboard
Exercise
Discover
Devices
Profile
You get an assortment of free and paid watch faces here where some of them are really good. Plus, you can even customize one on your own, which is cool.
The Watch GT 3 Pro supports Bluetooth calling as well and I’d say its audio quality is loud and clear. You can also make calls directly from the watch, but that’s only possible if you add your favorite contact list in the Huawei Health app, or re-dial someone already in the call history.
But what I find weird is that when replying to messages, the watch does not give any confirmation after sending the text/emoji. So I’ve always had to check my phone to verify if the message was actually sent or not. Sometimes, the messages have been sent twice, which can be a disaster in professional settings!
Similarly, voice assistant is one feature that I really wish Huawei had included in this watch and I would’ve loved to have better third-party app support too. You do get a bunch of third-party app options on the Huawei Health app, but the choices are very limited and the ones available don’t seem to be that useful either, at least to me.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Review: Conclusion
Alright, so with everything I have discussed in this review so far, I have to say that the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is a very good option for someone who wants a good smartwatch experience and wants it to be a fashion piece at the same time.
I mean, its design is just so premium. On top of that, it does all the health and fitness tracking stuff well enough, so I have very less complaints on that part. And of course, the battery life on this thing is amazing as well.
But I guess, while trying to make a fashionable smartwatch that is also a great fitness tracker, Huawei has missed out on some nifty quality of life features, like voice assistant and proper third-party app support, which might be important for some people, especially when you are buying a smartwatch with a hefty price tag like this one.
So, in the end, it all depends on what you look for in a smartwatch. If you are looking for a complete smartwatch experience with average battery life, the ones from Apple and Samsung are proven performers. But if you want a little of everything, from good looks to reliable fitness tracking and enduring battery life, I think you won’t go wrong with the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro.
Watch our video review of the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro
Samsung has pretty much proved that foldable phones are ready for the mainstream market. And the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which I’ll be discussing in this long-term review, is the prime example of that. It was undoubtedly the best foldable phone of its time; there’s no two ways about it.
But almost every subsequent launch from Chinese brands like Huawei (Mate Xs 2), Xiaomi (MIX Fold), OPPO (Find N), Honor (Magic V), and recently Vivo (X Fold) has introduced superior hardware in one way or the other.
From less noticeable crease, a wider cover display, to better cameras, the Fold 3 no longer represents the pinnacle of what a foldable phone can be.
Or so some would argue. So how well does this guy hold up a year later—and with the Fold 4 just around the corner? I think I can answer that question since I have been using this phone for a year now! In fact, the Fold 3 has circled through multiple pockets in our office throughout this period. Some fold fanatics, while some are #teamflip all the way.
And this long-term review, I’ll try my best to summarize our year-long experience with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and discuss its practicality, everything new it brings to the smartphone experience, and where Samsung could improve upon in the upcoming successor. Let’s begin.
Okay, first things first—if you want to live the foldable life, you’ll have to get used to the thick and heavy form factor; there’s just no other way around it. It’s essentially a phone and a tablet molded into one body after all. Lucky for us, we got used to its heft almost right away. This thing is still a lot heavier than a typical smartphone but after a couple days or so, you don’t even notice it.
That learning curve might differ among people, but you get the idea. Besides the phone being able to transform into a mini tablet *finger snap* just like that, I guess the next best thing about the Fold 3 is its compactness. No, seriously.
It’s such a lost luxury that I can’t recall the last phone where I could wrap my hand around one so easily. The side-mounted fingerprint reader is perfectly placed for a quick unlock, and Samsung’s “candy bar” or “gold bar” design—whatever you’d like to call it—is as practical as it is bold. Almost.
Maybe a little too compact
Although handling this phone with one hand is quite comfortable when folded, that ta……ll 25:9 aspect ratio of the cover display is a hard pill to swallow. Whether you’re typing up a message, attending a video call, or simply watching a video, this narrow form factor makes things just a little bit complicated.
Swipe typing is fine but as soon as you go about actually typing each key, there’s a mistype almost 30-40% of the time. So much so that the backspace key has become my most used key! And I can’t say I’ve gotten used to it over time either. At the other end of the spectrum, something like scrolling through your Instagram or Facebook feed feels fantastic on this screen.
Or attending regular phone calls, browsing the web, and stuff like that. Still and all, such a narrow design is something I’d like to see Samsung work on in its successor. And if the rumors are to be believed, the Fold 4 is indeed going to be a little shorter and wider compared to the Fold 3, thus making way for a better outer display.
How’s the hinge?
Now, before talking about the core quality of the two displays in this long-term review, I’d first like to go over the hinge of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Like its past two generations, the company claims that this guy can withstand 200,000 folds as well.
While I’m nowhere near reaching that milestone anytime soon, my Fold 3’s hinge is as solid as it was a year ago. It can still stand on its own at whatever angle you’d like which means you get to enjoy features like Flex Mode for essentially dividing the 7.6” main display into two halves.
But I’ll be honest—this feature is only really useful in a handful of apps, even though you can force enable it on all of them. Instead, Samsung is more proud in terms of the hinge’s durability this time. And maybe rightly so.
I’m not sure if the new “armor aluminum” hinge actually worked its magic or it’s something else, but the hinge effortlessly survived a couple of times the phone accidentally bumped against a concrete wall. The aftermath of the accident is clearly visible next to the side frames with their visible discoloration, but there’s not a dent on the hinge itself. Awesome!
Splish splash
While we’re on the subject of durability, the Fold 3 also boasts IPX8 water resistance. And I can’t emphasize enough just how impressive of an achievement this is!
Like… there are so many ways for a regular smartphone to be compromised by water damage—let alone a foldable phone with all its moving parts.
Mind you that IPX8 isn’t just rated to shield against minor splashes or drizzle either. Samsung says you can completely dunk this phone in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for as long as half an hour.
Galaxy Z Flip 3
All this sounds even more extraordinary when you realize that no other foldable phone out there—except for Samsung’s own clamshell foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 3—has an official IP certification. But if you’re familiar with IP codes at all, then you know that the ‘X’ in IPX8 here suggests that the Fold 3 is not dust resistant.
Frankly, I wouldn’t worry about it too much even if it’s something I would love to see on the Fold 4. More importantly, I hope Samsung will use a zero-gap hinge like most of the competition has on its upcoming foldable because the hinge mechanism on the Fold 3 has started to show its age in multiple ways.
Firstly, because this thing leaves a small gap when folded, the main display collects dust—especially lint—a little too easily than you’d like. From simply staying in the pocket, to when leaving it on a desk for a while. Even if I don’t mind cleaning it up, Samsung’s approach has much bigger implications when it comes to the crease.
Update (8th August, 2022): Shortly after posting this review, the screen protector on the main display of our unit started peeling off down the middle by a bit. We asked Samsung Nepal if it was okay to remove the screen protector, and they gave the green light. But if you wanted to put a new screen protector, you’ll have to refer to aftermarket solutions since Samsung Nepal won’t do it for you.
Easy peasy foldy creasy
Yeah, yeah, the crease. It exists, and it’s gotten much deeper after all this time. Someone who’d use the stylus a lot would certainly disagree with me here but I wasn’t that bothered by the crease. That’s because it sort of disappears unless you’re directly looking for it, so I’m… fine with it.
Okay, so while that gapless hinge is by design, my Fold 3 doesn’t unfold flat anymore. And no, I’m not talking about the wobble because of the camera bump.
It’s not smooth 180° when unfolded anymore, but more like 170 / 175° instead. I don’t know exactly when this happened but I first recall noticing it about 2-3 months back. Although I can’t say this has affected the integrity of the phone in any way, and apparently this is not totally uncommon among fold owners, it’s still something you should know about.
Displays
Folded: 6.2″ 120Hz AMOLED (HD+), Gorilla Glass Victus
Unfolded: 7.6″ 120Hz AMOLED (QXGA+), LTPO
Back to the displays, I think I’ve already discussed almost everything there is about the one up front. From colors, contrast, brightness, and HDR certifications, to the smooth 120Hz refresh rate, it still holds up against the flagship phones of 2022. Yes, there’s no LTPO panel here like on the main display, but it’s something I can absolutely live by.
Remember what I said about the stylus being a potential inconvenience on the main display due to the crease? Well, you don’t have to worry about any of it on the cover screen since it doesn’t support either of the S Pens compatible with the Fold 3.
But what’s interesting is that the costlier S Pen Pro is in fact compatible with other Samsung devices including smartphones and tablets. So technically, Samsung could’ve just used the same type of digitizer on both displays, not bothered with the “S Pen Fold Edition” altogether, and called it a day. I don’t know. I’m willing to bet most Fold 3 buyers could easily afford the S Pen Pro anyway.
Unfolding the Fold 3 never gets boring
Moving on, the main display is where the magic happens, but you already knew that. And the one thing about it that still impresses me to this day—apart from the whole unfolding marvel—is how it feels to touch.
I vividly remember how the inner display on 2020’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 had this soft, almost plasticky feel to it. Compared to that, the Fold 3 feels much, much better which is mostly thanks to the new PET screen protector. Of course this is no match against the Victus-wrapped cover display, but it has survived an entire year without suffering from any major scratch or anything. That’s beyond commendable, I’d say.
As expected, this display doesn’t disappoint in terms of the visual quality either. But like how you gotta deal with black bars or crops when streaming something on the cover display, that whole experience continues on this side too.
Unless when exclusively binging old-timey cartoons and anime or Zack Snyder’s Justice League that fit like a glove on the Fold 3.
Oh, and before I forget, its stereo speakers are undoubtedly among the best I’ve ever come across on a smartphone. The full body sound filled with plenty of details, complemented by a loud sound profile is just… *chef’s kiss*
Hide yo camera
Part of the reason why I love this main display so much is also that Samsung decided to go with an under-display camera (UDC) on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
This is the company’s first-ever attempt at hiding a camera underneath a display and it’s nowhere near what some Chinese brands have accomplished on their non-folding smartphones. But I guess Samsung was more concerned with delivering a seamless display experience and was willing to gamble on an unpolished product.
A bold move, I know. And one I totally appreciate. The thing is, just like the crease, its camera cutout is barely noticeable when I’d be going about my day. It’s certainly visible when pixel peeping and stuff, but I was never really worried about it.
The actual camera quality, however, is a different story entirely. The images turn out quite hazy, they look over-processed, and there’s little detail to talk about here.
Selfie
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4MP Camera (UDC)
10MP Camera (Cover Display)
12MP Camera (Wide)
4MP Camera (UDC)
10MP Camera (Cover Display)
12MP Camera (Wide)
While it’ll get you by video calls—especially if you’re in a well-lit room—I wouldn’t post any selfies from this camera to social media. At least not unironically.
Normal
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On top of this, the Fold 3 lets me take significantly better selfies from the rear cameras or the one on the cover display, so why even bother?
Ultrawide
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And the rear cameras take pretty decent images too—from all three sensors. With an extra pinch of saturation and contrast levels.
Portrait
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Even though it doesn’t compare against the Galaxy S22 Ultras or the iPhone 13 Pro Maxes of the world, I never felt totally disappointed by its results.
Telephoto (2x)
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That feeling almost never crept in.
Lowlight
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But for such a premium smartphone, expecting top-notch cameras is far from a big ask. So here’s to hoping that Samsung really steps up its camera game in its upcoming foldable!
With that out of the way, it’s time to get into the performance side in this long-term review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Granted that the Snapdragon 888 powering this guy is a generation old, it holds up perfectly fine even to this day. Multitasking is no big deal for this beast and the overall fluidity has only gotten better over time with all the updates to Samsung’s One UI.
Usually what I’ve seen with the foldables from other brands is that the extent of multitasking on those devices is mostly restricted to “split screen” for launching two apps at once and a floating window. But Samsung’s software expertise goes above and beyond to make sure you can make the most out of the Fold 3’s large display.
There’s the Flex Mode I talked about earlier, easy window switching, app continuity, pinning apps to the taskbar, and so much more here. You’re obviously not gonna make use of them all the time, but there was this one time when I had to send in my laptop for repair and I was able to finish most of my work from this phone. Even without DeX.
And Samsung’s promise to support the Fold 3 with 4 generations of OS and 5 years of software updates is just the cherry on top.
But the one thing I’d like to see One UI improve upon is the ability to extend an app from the cover display to the main display. It works fine in like 95% of the apps, but some that open in landscape orientation by default—mostly games—require a restart whenever switching to the main display. Aside from performance itself, its large display is also an absolute godsend as far as gaming is concerned.
It’s a whole new world for retro gamers
Modern titles like PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact, Asphalt 9, and the likes run without a hiccup and… you know what? I don’t think I need to go through how the Snapdragon 888 handles all these games again. We’ve already had a whole year of 888-powered smartphones to discuss.
Instead, the Fold 3’s form factor has rekindled my love for retro arcade games. I don’t mean to say that regular slab smartphones can’t handle emulators or anything, but this bigger screen makes all the difference. And take a look at this, I can even turn my Fold 3 into a…. *drum rolls* Nintendo DS! How cool is that?!
I never owned a Nintendo DS myself but I can spend all day searching for shiny pokémons on Pokémon Black & White on this thing!
Battery
4400mAh dual-cell battery (25W wired charging)
10W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless charging
The only problem is that the Fold 3’s battery couldn’t get me through a busy day on most occasions. Only when limiting most of my usage to the cover display could I squeeze 5-6 hours of screen on time here. And charging it up is not an inspiring journey either—at least not by 2022’s standards.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Long-Term Review: Conclusion
So that was all for our long-term review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Like I said in the very beginning, foldable phones are ready for the mainstream market. And this is the perfect example of that.
It just… works as well as you’d expect from any smartphone. Some features better than others, but I don’t think there are any particularly deal-breaking flaws here. Even though Samsung has a bunch of things to work on its successor.
First and foremost, Samsung has got to match the competition in terms of minimizing the crease. That’s probably one of the biggest complaints most people have about this phone at this stage, seeing how basically every new player in the foldable arena has achieved a zero-gap hinge with way less noticeable crease. And an S Pen slot inside the phone itself would be a sweet, sweet deal too.
Nicer cameras, please
On the other hand, Samsung’s Fold lineup has been due for a camera refresh for quite some time now. An improved under-display alongside newer image sensors with better computational photography might just be what the company needs to stand out next time!
Above all, the ultra-premium price tag remains one of the major barriers why the public hasn’t been able to join the foldable revolution.
The Fold 3 was cheaper than the Fold 2, and that’s fantastic! But I desperately hope Samsung can find a way to make the Fold 4 even cheaper, despite everything new it brings to the table. We already know just how sharply Samsung phones depreciate over time. And no one wants to see their expensive phone lose so much of its value in such a short time.
So, better and cheaper foldables is the only way for Samsung to remain the dominant name in this space in the long run. And it looks like the company is well aware of this. The upcoming Fold 4 will reportedly have a 128GB base variant—instead of 256GB—which shaves off the starting price by a significant amount. That won’t make it dirt cheap or anything, but it’s still something.
Watch our video long-term review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Long-Term Review: Pros & Cons
