Why the cutting-edge Galaxy Z Fold 3 is doomed to flop

Don't get me wrong - viewing "quick" content on this one is… fine. However, the moment you have to interact with it, it turns into a nightmare. The icons and virtual arrows become hard to hit; the taller aspect ratio requires adjusting your grip more often than not, and the typing… don't get me started on the typing.

If you use lots of instant messaging as your main way of communication (which WHO DOESN'T?!), you'll be forever frustrated with this tiny outer screen. But wait… You can just open the big one, and then your problems are solved, right?

Nope. Not at all. I advise everyone who hasn't held a smaller tablet in their hands to go in-store and try it. Try typing on it. It can be even trickier than on a tiny screen. Also, what if one of your hands is busy? Then you have to resort to the small outer screen whether you want to or not. Not to mention a proper-sized tablet like the 11-inch iPad Pro for example… Every time I have to type while holding the iPad in my hands, I… don't. It's a joke.

If you're wondering why I'm having a go at the Z Fold 2, while this story is about the Z Fold 3, that's because the new Fold is said to keep the same screen sizes like on the Z Fold 2! And I'm simply NOT loving it, as you could already tell.

Sorry, Samsung, if this turns out to be true, I'm out!

3. Folks ain't ready for a foldable?

Not that Samsung seems "too ready" to commit either, when looking at the supposed screen sizes of the Z Fold 3, but people are definitely not prepared to make the switch. Even at this early "stage three" of foldables, people simply don't… talk about them. Now, is this due to the way they are marketed, or due to the price, availability, etc.? Probably all of the above.

However, if we put smartphone nerds aside, foldables are still viewed as a concept which is in development. In fact, they kind of are… Yes, they are now usable. The same couldn't be said about the first Galaxy Fold. However, it seems like not many know about them or are interested.

I know this might trigger some people, but the fact that Apple hasn't entered the foldable phone race holds the entire industry back. In a nutshell, Apple has the strongest marketing and most loyal customers… When Tim Cook and company enter a market, it comes alive.

There are many examples, but the most recent one is AirTags, which made trackers cool again (considering they were cool before?!). The one with the most dramatic impact is probably AirPods and how they literally changed the way we listen to music.

4. Bonus: Huawei does it better

Without going into too much detail here (you can refer to our Huawei Mate X2 vs Galaxy Z Fold 2 comparison), I'll simply say that Huawei's Mate X2 has been out for over half a year now. Despite that, it shapes up to be a much better attempt at a foldable even when compared with the Z Fold 3 - or at least what we know about it so far.

Now, is that a valid point, given that it doesn't run Google apps out of the box, costs about twice as much as the Z Fold 2 (if we consider some Fold 2 deals), and it has limited availability? No, absolutely not. That's not a valid comparison. Thanks, US trade ban...

However, at least the way I am - I'll lose some sleep over the fact that SOMEWHERE out there in a storage room in China, there's a foldable phone that runs circles around Samsung's Fold, and:

• Has larger, better displays - especially the outer one
• Pretty much solves the "crease issue" when unfolded
• Comes with a waaay better set of cameras - flagship-grade
• Much faster charging
• And have you seen the GENIUS design move that allows the Mate X2 to fold without leaving a gap?!

Verdict: The Foldbidden fruit

I'll finish off by pointing out something much less obvious. You wouldn't know it if you haven't been to a smartphone retail shop in Germany (unless this happens elsewhere too).

The Z Fold 2 is almost a year old now, but if you go to a German store (in this case - Saturn), you'll notice that there's a see-through display box that goes over the Galaxy Z Fold 2?! I first thought this might be done for security reasons - I get it the phone is expensive. However, as it turns out, you can remove the cover and play with the phone.

Why? Why are they making this device seem more "un-normal" than it already does? In fact, many people probably skip past it thinking exactly what I did: "I'm not supposed to touch this, and if I do, I'll need permission and someone to remove this pastry lid… I can't bother".

In my humble view, the Fold should be advertised, treated, handled, and just portrayed as any other device. Yes - it's different and special, but if you're trying to make it the "norm", you better start making it feel "normal", so people don't have the perception of something they can't afford or aren't supposed to have, before even looking at the price and reviews.

In the end, even if the Galaxy Z Fold 3 turns out to be a "flop" - whether that's related to sales, or simply design, that's... OK! This is still a novel device, and it will take some trial and error to get it right.