The foldable phones by Samsung which transform into tablets reached the third generation and now the Korean giant literally dominates the foldable niche in the global market. The latest model is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and, alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, it is the most powerful flagship by Samsung. But is it worth spending more for a foldable or you can actually get a better device if you go for the top-tier but more traditional Galaxy S21 Ultra? This comparison between their specifications will shed some light and clear your ideas in regards.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G vs Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm, 271 g 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm, 227 g
DISPLAY 7.6 inches, 1768 x 2208p (Quad HD+), Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X
External display 6.2 inches 832 x 2268 pixels (HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X		  6.8 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz or Samsung Exynos 2100, octa-core 2.9 GHz
MEMORY 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 16 GB RAM, 512 GB
SOFTWARE  Android 11, One UI  Android 11, One UI
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Triple 12 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4 + f/2.2
4 MP f/1.8 + 10 MP f/2.2 front camera		 Quad 108 + 10 + 10 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/4.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.2
40 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY  4400 mAh, fast charging 25W, wireless charging 11W  5000 mAh, fast charging 25W and wireless charging 15W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, 5G, Reverse wireless charging, IPX8 certification, stylus support, foldable phone Dual SIM slot, 5G, water resistant (IP68), reverse wireless charging, S Pen

Design

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G has something magic due to its foldable display. It can become a tablet, but it can also transform into a very compact phone if you fold it. It has a cleaner design due to a smaller and minimal camera module, and I love it for that. But it is a lot thicker while folded and it is heavier. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is waterproof with the IPX8 certification but it is not dustproof, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra which comes with the IP68 certification. Both the phones support the S Pen, but the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the only one with an in-display fingerprint reader (it is side-mounted on the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G).

 

Display

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is more advanced in terms of display because it has a foldable panel. The diagonal of the display, while the phone is unfolded, is whopping 7.6 inches, with a 2K resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and the HDR10+ certification. Further, the foldable has an additional external display with a diagonal of 6.2 inches. However, you should not underestimate the awesome display of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, with its wide 6.8-inch diagonal and the LTPO technology. The killer feature of both the devices is the S Pen borrowed from the dead Galaxy Note series.

 

Specs & Software

Both these phones are powered by the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform, they offer up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. But the European version of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a different processor: the Exynos 2100 which is actually inferior to the Snapdragon 888, especially in terms of power management. The phones are based on Android 11, customized by the One UI at version 3.1. They will get four years of major updates and even more years of security maintenance.

 

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a superior camera department and it is the best camera phone of the duo. It comes with a 108 MP main sensor supporting the OIS, a 10 MP periscope sensor with 10x optical zoom, a 10 MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom, and a 12 MP ultrawide camera. With the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, you get the same triple camera setup found in the previous generation, with three 12 MP sensors including a telephoto lens and an ultrawide camera. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also offers a better front camera with a 40 MP resolution and 4K video recording at 60 fps.

 

 

 

Battery

Last but not least, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a bigger battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh, and it provides a longer battery life on a single charge. The charging technologies are almost the same: 25W fast charging and 11/15W wireless charging. They also support reverse wireless charging.

 

Price

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is priced at €1800/$1700, while you need less than €1000/$1000 for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G offers an important added value: it is foldable and its display becomes huge. But the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a better camera phone and it also features a bigger battery. The rest of the differences are not as important as the above-mentioned ones.

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G vs Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: PRO and CONS

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G

PRO

  • Foldable display
  • S Pen
  • It transforms into a tablet
  • Compact while folded

CONS

  • Price

 

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

PRO

  • Wider and better display
  • S Pen
  • Bigger battery
  • Amazing cameras

CONS

  • Dimensions

 

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