This device has been tested in the previous version of our protocol. Please note that the score and contents below refer to an older test protocol.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is the latest update to the Z Fold line, with a display that unfolds to 7.6″ — truly enormous by smartphone standards. Along with the big screen comes a big price tag, exceeding that of many laptops. The Z Fold3 also has 6.2″ display on the outside when folded. We put the main screen through our display protocol test.
Key display specifications:
- Display Type: Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1200 nits maximum brightness
- Display: 7.6″ (89.3% screen-to-body ratio)
- Dimensions: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm. When folded: 158.2 x 67.1 x 16.0-14.4 mm.
- Resolution: 2208 x 1768 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 22.5:18. (~374 ppi density)
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz adaptive
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
About DXOMARK Display tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective and perceptual tests under controlled lab and real-life conditions. This article highlights the most important results of our testing.Note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and its still image (gallery) and video apps at their default settings. (For in-depth information about how we evaluate smartphone and other displays, check out our articles, “How DXOMARK tests display quality”and “A closer look at DXOMARK Display testing.”)
Test summary
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
89
display
Readability
68
76
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Best: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max (76)
Color
81
92
Sony Xperia 5 IV
Best: Sony Xperia 5 IV (92)
Video
88
91
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
Best: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon) (91)
Motion
77
87
Huawei P40 Pro
Best: Huawei P40 Pro (87)
Touch
75
85
OnePlus 9
Best: OnePlus 9 (85)
Artifacts
84
86
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Best: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max (86)
Position in Global Ranking 
23rd
1. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
99
2. Apple iPhone 13 Pro
98
3. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
95
3. Oppo Find X5 Pro
95
5. Oppo Find X5
94
6. Apple iPhone 13
93
6. Huawei P50 Pro
93
6. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
93
6. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
93
6. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
93
11. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
92
11. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
92
13. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
91
13. Sony Xperia 5 IV
91
13. Vivo X70 Pro+
91
16. Apple iPhone 13 mini
90
16. Google Pixel 6 Pro
90
16. Honor Magic4 Pro
90
16. OnePlus 10 Pro
90
16. Realme GT 2 Pro
90
16. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
90
16. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
90
23. OnePlus 9 Pro
89
23. OnePlus 8T
89
23. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
89
23. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
89
23. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
89
23. TCL 20 Pro 5G
89
23. Vivo X60 Pro+
89
23. Xiaomi 11T
89
31. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
88
31. LG Wing
88
31. OnePlus 9
88
31. OnePlus 8 Pro
88
31. Oppo Find X3 Pro
88
31. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
88
31. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
88
31. Vivo iQOO 9 Pro
88
39. Apple iPhone 12 Pro
87
39. Google Pixel 6a
87
39. Google Pixel 6
87
39. Oppo Reno8 5G
87
39. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
87
39. Vivo X51 5G
87
39. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
87
39. Xiaomi Mi 11
87
39. Xiaomi 11T Pro
87
48. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
86
48. Honor 70
86
48. Motorola Edge 30 Pro
86
48. Oppo Reno8 Pro 5G
86
48. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
86
48. Sony Xperia 1 III
86
54. Apple iPhone 12
85
54. Huawei P40 Pro
85
54. Oppo Find X3 Neo
85
54. Xiaomi 12 Pro
85
58. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
84
58. Realme GT 5G
84
60. Oppo Reno5 Pro+ 5G
83
60. TCL 10 Pro
83
60. Vivo iQOO 7 Legend
83
60. Xiaomi Mi 11i
83
60. Xiaomi 12
83
65. Asus ROG Phone 5
82
66. Asus Zenfone 8
81
66. Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
81
66. Realme GT Neo 2 5G
81
69. Motorola Edge 20 Pro
80
69. Oppo Reno6 5G
80
71. Lenovo Legion Y90
79
71. OnePlus Nord 2 5G
79
71. Oppo Find X5 Lite
79
71. Oppo Find X3 Lite
79
71. POCO F4 GT
79
71. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
79
71. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
79
71. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
79
79. Sony Xperia 5 II
78
79. ZTE Axon 30 Ultra
78
81. Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro
77
81. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
77
83. Oppo Find X2 Pro
76
84. Sony Xperia 10 IV
75
85. Google Pixel 5
74
85. Microsoft Surface Duo
74
88. Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
73
89. Black Shark 4S Pro
72
89. Black Shark 4 Pro
72
89. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
72
92. Asus ROG Phone 3
70
93. Fairphone 4
69
94. Crosscall Action-X5
62
95. Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
61
96. Nokia 8.3 5G
55
97. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
53
98. Realme C21
43
Position in Ultra-Premium Ranking 17th
1. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
99
2. Apple iPhone 13 Pro
98
3. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
95
3. Oppo Find X5 Pro
95
5. Oppo Find X5
94
6. Huawei P50 Pro
93
6. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
93
6. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
93
6. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
93
10. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
91
10. Sony Xperia 5 IV
91
10. Vivo X70 Pro+
91
13. Google Pixel 6 Pro
90
13. Honor Magic4 Pro
90
13. OnePlus 10 Pro
90
13. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
90
17. OnePlus 9 Pro
89
17. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
89
17. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
89
17. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
89
17. Vivo X60 Pro+
89
22. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
88
22. LG Wing
88
22. OnePlus 8 Pro
88
22. Oppo Find X3 Pro
88
26. Apple iPhone 12 Pro
87
26. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
87
26. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
87
29. Sony Xperia 1 III
86
30. Huawei P40 Pro
85
30. Xiaomi 12 Pro
85
32. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
84
33. Sony Xperia 5 II
78
34. Oppo Find X2 Pro
76
35. Microsoft Surface Duo
74
36. Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
73
37. Asus ROG Phone 3
70
38. Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
61
Pros
- The brightness is adapted when watching HDR10 video content.
- Very smooth in most use cases, including playing video games, web browsing, or scrolling in the gallery app.
- Touch is very accurate on the whole display area.
Cons
- Display is not very readable outdoors.
- A yellow cast and oversaturated colors are noticeable in most tested conditions.
- The crease is visible in most conditions.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3’s score of 89 puts it in elite company — among the top 10 devices in our database in the Ultra Premium smartphone category. The Z Fold3 lost some points in readability because it is not bright enough outdoors; otherwise, its score would have been even higher. It performed particularly well in video and artifacts categories.
For the purposes of this review, we’re only reviewing the unfolded interior screen, not the exterior one. Worth noting: Because of its narrow shape, the exterior display is well suited for notifications and messages, but not ideal for watching videos or gaming.
On top of its strong overall performance, the Z Fold3 is an outlier because of the size of its unfolded display. As you can see in the illustration below, it is enormous compared with even the largest non-folding smartphones. That big screen is really advantageous for viewing content, be it pictures or text. It loses some (but not all) of that advantage when it is used for viewing video or playing games, which you can also see in the illustrations below. Neither form of content adapts very well.
Watching video. Clockwise from top left: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), OnePlus 9 Pro, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Here you can see the large black stripes above and below the video.
Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only
Gaming. Clockwise from top left: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Exynos), OnePlus 9 Pro, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Here you can see how the game is compressed on the edges when seen on the Z Fold3.
Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only
Readability
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
68
76
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Best: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max (76)
The Z Fold3 is very functional in indoor conditions, but lacks brightness outdoors, making content difficult to perceive; darker details are lost, especially in direct sunlight. In low-light conditions, the device can seem a little too bright, even dazzling. The Samsung device adapts quickly to changing light conditions.
The graphs below show the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G’s brightness and contrast under different lighting environments and results from other devices for comparison:
Brightness vs Contrast comparison (0 Lux)
Brightness vs Contrast comparison (30 000 Lux)
The Samsung Z Fold3 5G lacks brightness in outdoor conditions, as you can see in the photo illustration made in the shade below, especially in comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), at its immediate right.
Comparison of the screens in outdoor conditions. From left to right: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, OnePlus 9 Pro.
Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only
Indoors, the Samsung Z Fold3 5G performs ably, with good readability. On angle, as in the second photo illustration below, the device loses some brightness and contrast, but is still readable.
Comparison of the screens in indoor conditions on axis: From left to right: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, OnePlus 9 Pro.
Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only
Comparison of the screens in indoor conditions when devices are at an angle: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, OnePlus 9 Pro.
Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only
Color
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
81
92
Sony Xperia 5 IV
Best: Sony Xperia 5 IV (92)
The Z Fold3 shows a yellowish cast and oversaturated colors in indoor conditions.
Color rendering indoors. Clockwise from top left: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), OnePlus 9 Pro, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max,
Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only
Outdoors, colors are also oversaturated, and an orangish cast is visible, both in sunlight and the shade. When viewed at an angle, there’s a shift toward blue. The device is mostly uniform, but slightly redder along the bottom of the display. When the blue light filter is on, a slight shift toward yellow is observable.
The charts below show the color reproduction fidelity in 1000 lux lighting in the standard sRGB color space and in DC1-P3 color space. The center of each circle is the target color; anything outside the circle represents a noticeable color difference. The further the tip of the arrow is outside of the circle, the more a user will notice the difference between the color on the display and the original color of the source material.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, color fidelity in the sRGB color space at 1000 lux.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, color fidelity in DCI-P3 color space at 1000 lux.
The following chart presents the white point color shift induced when looking at the screen of the Z Fold3 at an angle. The white point shifts strongly toward blue:
A scatter graph closeup of the Z Fold3’s white point on angle.
Video
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
88
91
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
Best: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon) (91)
The Z Fold3 5G displays a proper brightness when displaying HDR10 content. Midtones and dark tones are fairly well rendered. A slight halo can sometimes be seen on very dark content.
Viewing HDR10 content at night. Clockwise from top left: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos), OnePlus 9 Pro, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max,
Photo credit: DXOMARK; for illustration only
When watching HDR10 content in low light, the dark details are fairly well rendered, but they’re hardly visible in our indoor use case. There’s a greenish cast on HDR10 content that can become noticeable on skin tones.
Motion
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
77
87
Huawei P40 Pro
Best: Huawei P40 Pro (87)
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G shows many frame drops at 30 fps but only a few at 60 fps, and stutters are visible when playing video games. The device manages motion blur very well. When playing back video, a pause occurs before resuming the video.
Touch
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
75
85
OnePlus 9
Best: OnePlus 9 (85)
The Z Fold3 5G was accurate for touch throughout the display surface, borders and corners included. There was a problem with accuracy when zooming in the gallery app, illustrated below. The device was smooth for gaming, scrolling, and web browsing. A disturbing effect was visible when scrolling on a web page: The right side was a bit ahead of the left side, leading to a sort of wave effect.
Artifacts
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
84
86
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Best: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max (86)
Ghost touches — unintentional activation of the screen with other parts of the hand — occurred frequently. The graph below illustrates the Z Fold3 5G’s flicker. It is similar to other Samsung devices, at a level that could be improved.
Temporal Light Modulation
This graph represents the frequencies of lighting variation; the highest peak gives the main flicker frequency. The combination of a low frequency and a high peak is susceptible to inducing eye fatigue. Displays flicker for 2 main reasons: refresh rate and Pulse Width Modulation. This measurement is important for comfort because flickering at low frequencies can be perceived by some individuals, and in the most extreme cases, can induce seizures. Some experiments show that discomfort can appear at a higher frequency. A high PWM frequency (>1500 Hz) tends to be safer for users.
Judder is well managed at both 24 fps and 30 fps, and none was visible at 60 fps. There is some aliasing noticeable when playing video games.
Interesting to note: The selfie camera is under the screen, creating a small, but noticeable artifact that you can see in the cropped image below. It’s not as noticeable as a notch, and it doesn’t obstruct displayed content, but it is visible.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
The Z Fold3's selfie camera is under the display; the lens position is visible here.
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