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Samsung resumes One UI 4 rollout for Galaxy S21, Flip3, and Fold3 after initial holdup
Android 12 is back on the menu
Unless you're rocking a Pixel phone or Samsung's latest flagships, major software updates don't come as quickly in the world of Android as many would like. Unfortunately, those early rollouts can sometimes include bugs. One UI 4 updates had to be halted recently after several issues arose, some of which even bricked some phones. It seems like Samsung has fixed the issues as the Android 12 rollout has now resumed for the S21 series, the Fold3, and the Flip3.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 review: The first foldable worth buying
...if you can accept the middling battery life
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The Z Flip3 is tantalizingly close to being everything I hoped it would be. Starting now, folding phones aren't just for early adopters. You can go out and order one right now, and you probably won't be unhappy with it — or pay through the nose for it. I still have some complaints when it comes to things like middling-to-poor battery life, and part of me wishes Samsung would just take a stance to either cut more corners or fewer, but we're basically "here." The Z Flip3 is liminal, and in five years, we'll look back on it as marking the beginning of the true folding phone era.
Samsung's latest foldables are getting the September 2021 security patch internationally
The September patch is also available for a plethora of phones and tablets including the S21 series
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Samsung is staying true to tradition this week as it releases the September 2021 security patch before any other company, in some cases before August had even finished. This update includes a new version of One UI for the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Flip 5G, bringing features from the new Z Flip3 to the older devices internationally.
Get your Galaxy Z Flip3 from Amazon and save at least $75
That Prime credit card and those gift cards you've saved up will come in handy here
Been caught gawking at a Galaxy Z Flip3? Don't want to buy it through your carrier? Not even through Best Buy? Samsung? Maybe you've got Amazon gift cards and credit card points burning a hole in your wallet? Well, U.S. Flip3 units are available from the site right now and at a modest, but nice discount, too.The Flip3 has gotten good reviews all around and has become the most accessible folding smartphone we've had to date. There have been good deals for the device at the carriers and at certain stores, but maybe you're not in the mood to commit to sticking around for 2 years or trading in your old phone? Well, it's generally been tough going outside of those promos, going MSRP or bust. And for what? Shipping times as long as 6 weeks? Forget it!
Apple's convinced me: reports of the death of small phones have been greatly exaggerated
The iPhone 13 Mini and Galaxy Z Flip3 are proof that there's still a market for small phones
Over the past months, I haven't been shy about expressing my appreciation for the Pixel 5's physical dimensions. After years of carrying larger and larger phones, which culminated with the Pixel 4 XL, it felt great to go back to a smaller device that just fits in my hands and my tiny female pants' pockets, and where I don't have to stretch my thumb like Mrs. Incredible to reach the opposite top corner. However, for a brief moment, it looked like we were starting to dig the grave to bury the idea of smaller phones, but there's a new wind blowing and it breathed new life into the category. We're now seeing both the death of small phones and their rebirth at the same time.
Energy Ring now supports the Galaxy Z Flip3, Z Fold3, and Google Pixel 5a
Cool battery indicators for everyone
With lots of smartphones in 2021 now shipping with hole-punch front cameras, the Energy Ring app has become one of the coolest tweaks you can add to your handset. In case you're not familiar with it, it's made by developer IJP, and it allows you to display your phone's current battery level as a ring around your camera, instead of putting that space to waste. Earlier this year, it was made into a universal app (previously, every supported phone got its own individual app) with support for multiple devices like the Galaxy S21 and the Google Pixel 5. Now the app is getting support for a handful of new devices.
Trading in for a Z Fold3 or Z Flip3? What you need to know — and how to get the most for your phones
Samsung's trades system is weird. Knowing how to use it could save you hundreds.
Samsung's newest folding phones may not be quite as expensive as prior generations, but they're still very spendy, with the Z Flip3 starting at ,000 and the Z Fold3 at ,800. The company's been known to offer remarkably fair trade values in recent years, though, and for these phones in particular, you can send Samsung a staggering four trade-in devices, potentially driving the cost way down. But things can get a little complicated. Here, we get into the nitty-gritty of what every phone is worth to Samsung, and how to get the best value for your trades.
Samsung is slowing down updates for the Galaxy Note9
Plus its latest foldables join the monthly patch list
Despite its wide array of devices, Samsung has some of the best software support you'll find on Android phones today. That's not to say phone development doesn't eventually slow down, of course. Three years after its initial launch, the Galaxy Note9 will no longer get monthly security patches, though it hasn't lost support just yet.
You can save $400 on a Galaxy Z Flip3 if you're willing to give Boost Mobile a try
Dish is hoping this deal will give its carrier a boost
Pre-orders for Samsung's most affordable foldable smartphone yet are over, but the deals screaming out at us about free Galaxy Z Flip3 devices are still fresh in our minds. If you're willing to make some compromises, though, you can get a Flip3 for just $600 right now. No kidding.
Surprise: Samsung's first-party Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3 cases are worth the extra dough
They're pretty nice, and they've got some extra features you might like — though they aren't super protective
Samsung's folding phones are proving to be more popular than you might expect. With sales growing and plenty of our readers seemingly snapping up the phones, some of you might be pondering what sort of case to get for your new $1,000-1,700 smartphone, and I'd recommend you give one of Samsung's first-party cases a try, for a few key reasons.
Foldable phones have arrived, and Samsung has the pre-order figures to prove it
Acknowledge the folding smartphone before it takes over the world
Samsung's big pitch for the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3 appears to have landed a hit. The company has confirmed that it has logged the most global pre-orders for the new foldable phones ever, eclipsing sales of existing Galaxy Z models year-to-date. Unofficial numbers from South Korea may give us an idea of how big this stack actually is.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 vs. Z Flip3: Which is right for you?
Differences in cameras, storage, accessory support, and more. Here, we ask: hot dog or hamburger?
Samsung's newest folding devices, the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip3, have been fully revealed (and we've even played with them). They're both intensely cool, but one costs way more than the other. So, aside from the basic shape, what's different between the two, and which is right for you? Let's discuss.
Fixing the screen on your Galaxy Z Fold3 or Z Flip3 will be incredibly expensive (unsurprisingly)
You better handle that thing with kid gloves, or maybe actual gloves
Folding smartphone displays are very difficult to produce — take a look at this teardown to see how complex these devices are — so it's understandable that the technology adds a premium to the price of Samsung's latest Galaxy phones. With that in mind, it's genuinely remarkable that the Z Flip3 costs less than $1,000. You will not want to break your screen, though, as that will be much more costly to repair than on a regular old slab phone.
Weekend poll: Did you pre-order any of Samsung's newest gadgets?
Flips and Folds and Watches, oh my!
This week, Samsung finally held its long-awaited Galaxy Unpacked event, showing off its latest folding phones alongside new smartwatches and some fancy ANC-equipped earbuds. Despite plenty of leaks ruining the surprise, this fall's lineup looks to be one of its best yet, making it harder than ever to pick which device you're going to pre-order.
Google Fi customers can save enough on a Galaxy Z Flip3 to buy a second phone
And not even a crappy second phone!
The freshly announced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is extremely cool, but while it might be historically inexpensive as far as smartphones that fold in half go, it's still priced like a flagship at $1,000. If you're after one but don't want to drop that kind of cash, and you're either already on or willing to switch to Google Fi, you can save a ton on the thing: $400, to be exact, plus an additional $150 in Samsung credit.
Samsung wants all your old hardware, raises trade-in limit to 4 devices for latest pre-orders
Considering what it's offering for some hardware, though, maybe think twice
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Trading in your old phone can be a great way to cut down the cost of a new handset, and that's all the more important when we're shopping for expensive phones like the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series. With Samsung's latest models, it looks easier than ever to save a lot through trade-ins, thanks to the company letting you trade in up to four devices at once.
Samsung did Pixel owners dirty on trade-in values for the Z Fold3 and Flip3
$100 for a Pixel 4 XL, and the company won't even take anything more recent than that
It's Samsung pre-order day for the new folding phones, and this time around, Samsung isn't subsidizing anyone with crazy trade-in values. In fact, outside being able to dump a whole pile of older devices that Samsung is graciously offering a minimum for, they're pretty middle-of-the-road-to-bad — but you can stack up to four trade-ins. That's more than the two we expected previously.
Don't order your Galaxy Z Fold3 or Flip3 before checking out these carrier deals
They cover a range, though. Some are bad.
The announcement's out. In the U.S., the Galaxy Z Flip3 is priced at $1,000 for the 128GB version and $1,050 for the 256GB version while the Fold3 with 256GB or 512GB of storage sits at $1,800 and $1,900. Both come up for pre-orders today and they'll ship from August 27. Now comes all of the ways to cut down that total and fill up your cart from your friendly neighborhood carrier, retailer, and/or Samsung itself.
The $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold3 doesn't come with a charger
But if you can afford to buy it, does it matter?
How does a manufacturer fill a product box? Does it do so with the consumer in mind where everything required for a rich and full user experience is included? Or does frugal intent take over, nickeling and diming accessories like a wall adapter or a stylus in order to recoup margins missed by pricing your third series of foldable phones at their lowest prices yet? For the Galaxy Z Flip3 and Fold3, it seems Samsung is counting on the latter's resulting wow factor beyond all else as its leading motive.
Hands on with the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3: It's time to consider a folding phone
They've hit mainstream
I recently had the chance to play with Samsung's two new phones, the Z Fold3 and Flip3, spending an hour poking, prodding, and bending the two new flagships. It's too early to form a final judgment ahead of our full review, but as a witness to the fast pace of change in the space and a reluctant convert to the concept, foldables have come a long way. Today, I think they've arrived. When it comes to hardware and build quality, foldables have reached mainstream — or, at least, Samsung's have.