Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: Plans, prices, and deals

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 is now available, taking the place of the Galaxy Note this year. While we might not be getting a new Note, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 still has (optional) S Pen support for those that really love a stylus.

In this guide:

• Galaxy Z Fold 3 Price
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 Design
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 Camera
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 Colours
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 Battery Life
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 Processor

Galaxy Z Fold 3 Price

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is cheaper than expected (albeit still pretty expensive), with it starting at $2,499. For reference, last year's Galaxy Z Fold 2 launched at $2,999, so you're spending less than you would if you bought a foldable last year. Here's the pricing for Samsung's 2021 foldables:

• Galaxy Z Flip 3 (128GB): $1,499
• Galaxy Z Flip 3 (256GB): $1,599
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 (256GB): $2,499
• Galaxy Z Fold 3 (512GB): $2,649

Galaxy Z Fold 3 Design

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 looks pretty similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but is a bit lighter and a bit thinner. It has the same 6.2-inch external display (albeit with a faster 120Hz refresh rate) and a 7.6-inch internal display. Samsung has however moved away from a camera cut-out for the internal display's selfie camera, instead moving to an under-display selfie camera. This means the selfie camera is hidden under the phone's display. The external display still has a traditional selfie camera. 

Once again, Samsung has focused on durability in attempt to make its foldable phones tougher.  The manufacturer says the internal displays are 80% more durable when compared to last year's models, the aluminium frame is 10% more durable, and Gorilla Glass Victus is now being used for all external glass. In addition, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are both rated IPX8 for water resistance, which means they can be submerged as deep as 1.5m for up to 30 minutes. The pair are the first water-resistant foldables.

In lieu of a new Galaxy Note this year, Samsung has extended S Pen support to the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The S Pen itself is, however, an optional purchase, and you'll have two options to pick from - a traditional "dumb" stylus, or the S Pen Pro which is larger and features Bluetooth connectivity. Bluetooth enables Air actions, which let you wave the stylus like a wand to trigger certain tasks.

The standard Fold S Pen will go for $74 locally, or $119 when bundled with a holster case. The Bluetooth-enabled S Pen Pro will set you back $189. 

Galaxy Z Fold 3 Camera

Once again, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has three 12MP cameras on the back: a primary, an ultra-wide, and a 2x zoom. While it won't quite be the same kind of camera beast as the Galaxy S21 Ultra (which sports a massive 108MP primary sensor and two zoom lenses), we're expecting the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to still hold its own when it comes to photography. 

Galaxy Z Fold 3 Colours

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is available in a choice of Phantom Black, Phantom Green, and Phantom Silver. 

Galaxy Z Fold 3 Battery Life

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 features a 4,400mAh battery which is just a touch smaller than what we saw in the Galaxy Z Fold 2. We'd expect to see pretty similar battery life however, thanks to year-on-year processor efficiency gains. In our testing, we found the Galaxy Z Fold 2 could comfortably last a full day per charge.

Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 naturally supports 5G. It doesn't support mmWave 5G, however.

 mmWave is a faster form of 5G capable of hitting speeds as fast as 4Gbps, but is almost non-existent in Australia to date. Based on comments from telcos, we're not expecting to see a significant amount of mmWave coverage until the second half of last year, with Telstra suggesting it will initially be used to grow "capacity and depth of coverage in larger cities and towns".

mmWave is far more common in the US, and many S21 models sold in the US support mmWave in addition to standard 5G. At the same time, no 5G smartphone sold in Australia has supported mmWave to date.

Galaxy Z Fold 3 Processor

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor, as with the majority of flagship Android smartphones.

Choosing a Galaxy Z Fold 3 Plan

With the WhistleOut search tool, you can compare Galaxy Z Fold 3 plan pricing and inclusions across every provider. But there's a lot more to Samsung plans than just cost and data. Here's a breakdown of the major benefits you can expect each provider to offer.

Telstra Samsung Galaxy plans are often the priciest on the Australian market, but they do come with a few perks. These include: 

• Access to Telstra's super-fast 4GX network
• Data-free access to Apple Music 
• Access to the Telstra Plus perks and rewards program

While Telstra Galaxy plans aren't cheap, they're all rather flexible. They're no-contract on the basis that you can leave at any time, you'll just need to pay out the remaining value of your phone. You also have the option to step up or down in plan inclusions up to one time per month, which is great if you have variable usage.

Telstra also offers the option to pay off your Galaxy over 12 or 24 months. And all plans come with zero excess data charges. If you go over your cap, your data will simply be slowed to speeds of 1.5Mbps, which is still fast enough to stream video in SD. But speeds may be slower during peak times.

Optus Samsung Galaxy plans come with big data inclusions and entertainment extras. Optus iPhone plans come with:

• Free access to Optus Sport
• Discounted movie tickets for Hoyts cinemas through the Optus Perks program

All Optus plans are contract-free, devices can be paid off across 12, 24, or 36 months, and you can customise inclusions like roaming and international calls on a month-to-month basis. In addition, all Optus postpaid plans are now free from excess data charges. If you go over your allowance, you'll be slowed to 1.5Mbps rather than being billed $10 per gigabyte.

Vodafone Samsung Galaxy plans may not come with the kinds of freebies and perks you can get from Optus or Telstra, but they do offer a lot of flexibility. Like Telstra and Optus plans, Vodafone plans are contract-free on the basis that you can leave at any time without penalty. You'll just need to pay out the remaining value of your handset.

You can also step up or down in plan inclusions up to once per month, and ease the burden of an iPhone price tag with the option to pay it off over 12, 24 or 36 months. You'll pay the same overall for your Galaxy no matter which option you pick.

Vodafone postpaid plans are all free from excess data charges. When you go over your plan allowance, you'll be capped to 2Mbps, 10Mbps, or 25Mbps, depending on how much you're spending per month. The higher your bill, the higher your capped data speeds. 

You'll also get access to Vodafone's famous $5 roaming, which is still easily the best way to travel with your Australian phone number.

Woolworths Galaxy plans may not come from a big name telco, but there are other perks. 

Customers have the flexibility to switch between plans, you'll just need to pay out the remainder of your phone if you would like to leave.

Woolworths also offers up to 300GB Data Banking for your excess data. Anything of your data allowance that you don't use will roll over to the next month.

Woolworths Mobile customers can also get 10% off their Woolworths grocery shop once per month. 

Woolworths Mobile is powered by the Telstra network, but at present, does not have access to 5G.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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