Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 looks to be the lightest Fold model yet

New leak reveals a new lighter design for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 concept
(Image credit: Waqar Khan)

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will weigh 269g – or 9.48oz – according to a new leak, making it lighter than the Fold 2. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 weighed 282g (9.9oz), which was actually 7g heavier than the original Galaxy Fold, at 275g (9.7oz).

The information came in the form of a short tweet from regular leaker Ice Universe (via Tom’s Guide) that simply said “Fold3 269g.” Compared to other foldables, the Fold is extremely lightweight – both the Huawei Mate Xs foldable and the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold weigh in at over 300g (10.6oz). However, single-screen phones are much lighter – even the 6.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G weighs 229g (8.07oz).

Given that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is essentially two phones – or at least two screens – it’s no surprise that it is still considerably heavier. The question is, are we prepared to accept the weight in a tradeoff for the giant screen potential?

As with all increasingly large-screened smartphones, it seems that size and weight rarely affect the appeal. In fact, when phones have tried to go the other way – as with the iPhone 12 mini – with a smaller and lighter design, there has been less interest.

I’m sure that if the folding screen design really takes off, the weights of these phones will come down further. In a few years, they could weigh less than single-screen models thanks to improved battery design and screen technology.  Perhaps a better question is one posed by our UK deputy editor Rob Jones: once you’ve used a dual-screen phone, why would you ever want to go back to a single screen?

Mat Gallagher

As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.