The $1,799 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 asks you to pay even more for S Pen

The $1,799 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold three asks yous to pay even more for S Pen — what?

(Prototype credit: Samsung)

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 certainly looks to be an impressive follow-up to the phone maker'due south premiere foldable phone. Our Galaxy Z Fold 3 review remains in progress, only y'all can't help only let out a depression admiring whistle when y'all gaze upon the 120Hz displays — both within and outside! — the under-display camera and the number of apps that take been optimized for the telephone's foldable screen.

Throw in the hope of improved durability and the new IPX8 water-resistance rating, and you lot'd assume that Samsung has a winning phone on its easily.

Despite all that good news, there's ane big bummer nearly the Galaxy Z Fold 3 that threatens to eliminate any goodwill I feel almost the new foldable. And information technology's how Samsung opted to handle support for the S Pen.

Here are the reasons to buy and skip the Galaxy Z Fold three
Milky way Z Fold 3 pre-orders: Find the best deal
Plus: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: Should yous become Southward Pen Fold Edition or S Pen Pro?

Don't get me wrong — information technology's very skilful that the Galaxy Z Fold three has added support for Samsung's stylus, peculiarly with a Galaxy Note not happening in 2021. On a screen as big as the Z Fold 3'due south vii.6-inch brandish, the S Pen really has a gamble to shine and be the productivity booster that makes foldable phones a more compelling selection for some people.

What sticks in my craw is that Samsung is doing the aforementioned thing with the Milky way Z Fold three that it did with the Milky way S21 Ultra earlier this yr — the S Pen is sold as a split accessory. And considering there's no slot in either phone to hold the stylus, you lot've got to pick upwardly a case, likewise.

I go that fitting an S Pen slot into a folding phone is a complicated chore. You only needed to sit through Samsung's very in-depth caption of all the piece of work that went into adding a digitizer to the display to realize what a complicated bit of engineering any change to the Z Fold's design requires. In light of that, turning to a phone case to also hold the S Pen feels like the best solution possible.

Merely dear lord — don't make people pay extra for that. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 already costs a lofty $1,799. On meridian of that, Samsung expects you to pay extra to utilise of the telephone's marquee additions. That takes some real brass.

Samsung offers a solution in the form of its Galaxy Z Fold 3 Flip Cover with S Pen, a $79 accessory that only brings the cost of your phone to $ane,878. Considering the S Pen on its own only costs $49, you're essentially paying another $30 to packet in a instance, which seems similar a bargain on the surface. Just go along in listen you're getting the standard S Pen, the 1 without Bluetooth connectivity. So you'll be missing out on features like Air Gestures that people who buy the $99 South Pen Pro will go to enjoy.

Your purchases don't stop with the S Pen and the instance, past the style. Because the Galaxy Z Fold 3 doesn't ship with either a charger or a pair of headphones; you'll demand to add those on, too — assuming you don't take spares of either, lying around. If you're non careful, that $1,799 cost on the Galaxy Z Fold three is going to offset ticking up closer to the $1,999 Samsung was charging for last yr's Milky way Z Fold 2.

This is no way to provide a premium smartphone experience. And make no fault — that's what Samsung is trying to sell with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Everything most the phone — its design, its dual screens, its performance — screams out luxury. With the Galaxy Z Flip 3 starting at a more than affordable $999, it'south clear that Samsung recognizes that the Galaxy Z Fold iii isn't going to entreatment to everyone. Instead, it's a phone aimed at users who want a premium experience.

So why not requite them exactly that by including everything they need — S Pen, case, charger — right out of the box? At the very least the S Pen and case with holster should be standard.

I'k by no means a car guy. But I'm pretty sure if I were to walk into a luxury car dealer and plop downward whatever astronomical sum would cyberspace me the finest sedan, the next matter the salesman is going to say won't be "Tires are extra, bub." That'southward what it feels similar for Samsung to charge an additional fee for the S Pen and the case and whatever else yous demand to become the most out of an already expensive phone. That these fees are relatively nominal compared to what you lot're paying for the Fold itself is abreast the point — it comes across equally nickel-and-diming customers who are already willing to pay elevation dollar.

As I've said, our Galaxy Z Fold 3 review is ongoing and by the time we wrap upwardly testing, the foldable phone's strengths could heavily outweigh the fact that y'all accept to pony upwardly for an Due south Pen. But first impressions count for something, and as far as the Galaxy Z Fold three is concerned, charging even more on top of the standard $1,799 price doesn't make a dandy i.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has strong opinions well-nigh Apple, the Oakland Athletics and old movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.