The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 currently holds the ' best foldable phone ' title in its grip - but it's a weak grip, that looks set to break very soon if the company doesn't strengthen it with its next gen foldable.
When the latest foldable Samsung phone came out in August 2021, we heaped it with loads of praise, and as the bending-phone market was anemic at that time it easily took our top spot in our rankings.
However, the next model, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 , can't just be an iterative update in 2022 - that's because the foldable phone market is changing, and Samsung might not be able to keep up.
Was the Galaxy Z Fold 3 really that good?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is still at the top of our 'best foldable phones' list, but that doesn't mean it actually is the best in the world.
To add a phone to one of our 'best' lists, it has to be available in TechRadar's core regions: the United States, the United Kingdom or Australia. Samsung sells its devices in many regions around the world, so its Galaxy Z Fold 3 easily ticks those boxes.
Lots of devices don't launch globally though, so a product might get launched but never make its way into our buying guides. That's been the case with a lot of foldable phones, especially as some are limited to China.
The recently-launched Honor Magic V has a bigger screen and better chipset than the Z Fold 3. The Oppo Find N , which we tested out, has a much less obvious screen seam than the Z Fold 3, which makes for a dramatically better user experience.
Those two phones compete with the device closely, because they have the same form factor of smartphones that fold out into mini-tablets, but we've seen some exciting clamshell foldables too. These are phones that fold down to be easily-carryable or slip into a pocket.
The Huawei P50 Pocket , for example, has an impressive Super Spectrum camera, which sounds fantastic for artistic photography.
If the above smartphones had released globally, Samsung might not hold the top spot in our ranking - as it stands, it wins by default, for being the best phone our readers can buy. That's a rather hollow victory.
We've tested some, but not all, of the above foldable phones. When we used the Oppo Find N, the lack of a screen crease on the main display made the phone feel so much smoother to use, and we'd would potentially recommend it as the best foldable if it launched in our regions.
Don't just take our word for it - popular leaker Ice Universe is very outspoken on Samsung's phones, and most recently called out the Z Fold 3 for being the worst-designed of the recent foldables.
While Samsung has previously benefitted from the limited availability of foldables from other companies, it can't rest on its laurels forever - sooner or later, one of these phones is going to launch worldwide.
What can the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 do?
The aforementioned foldable phones are just the vanguard of many more to come.
In the case of Honor and Oppo, they're debut devices, and other rumored foldable phones include more first-timers like the iPhone Flip , Google Pixel Fold , Realme GT Fold , and ones from TCL and Vivo, as well as follow-up foldables like the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 and Motorola Razr 2022 .
So Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 can't be an iterative update on the Z Fold 3, with improved cameras, a newer chip and some other changes. It's going to take lots of work for the company to keep up.
The most necessary improvement, which we'd put at the #1 spot in Samsung's to-do list (and also underline several times, and circle in red pen, and possibly highlight it for good measure) is the screen crease.
All foldable phones have creases in the screen, which is where they fold when you close the device - it's only natural due to the form factor. However, not all screen creases are equal.
Some foldable displays have subtle creases, which are really hard to notice, and only become apparent if you're looking for them... and then there's Samsung. Z Fold and Z Flip phones have very obvious creases, which at best are annoying, and at worst ruin the experience of using the device.
Samsung needs to fix its screen crease problem pronto, because its rivals are putting out phones that are much better in this respect.
That's not the only problem with its phone design though - just look at the image we shared earlier from Ice Universe. The Z Fold 3 is noticeably very long and thin, with a chunky bezel around the edge - it really looks like it needs to get a good night sleep and eat a bit healthier.
In comparison, the other phones have much more premium-looking designs.
While design is our main issue with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Fold 4 could do even more to be competitive. We'd love to see an affordable foldable phone, and while that doesn't mean we're expecting a device that's as cheap as your average budget smartphone , it'd be great to see a flagship foldable for a more affordable price than the Z Fold 3's asking cost.
There's so much that competitors are doing in the camera, charging speed and software spaces too, that Samsung also needs to keep up with if the Z Fold 4 is going to be competitive.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 needs to be a huge step up from its predecessor if Samsung is going to keep its neck in the foldable game - the company can't keep relying on the limited availability of its rivals' devices forever, especially if Apple and Google are working on devices too.
iPhone SE 3 probably won't look like an iPhone 11 after all
The next iPhone SE is heavily rumored to be landing this year, and while previous reports have suggested it would sport a newer design than the iPhone SE 2020 , a new leak suggests it may keep an older iPhone's look.
Previous leaks had said Apple would be adopting a design similar to an iPhone 11 , but the same source has now clarified with new information that says it'll stick to the iPhone 8-like look.
This might disappoint many who expected a modern-looking compact iPhone. If that's you, there is a good part to this leak that suggests the iPhone SE 3 will have most of the bells and whistles of a modern phone.
The phone is expected to be the first of the iPhone SE series to come with 5G connectivity. To do so, Apple is reportedly planning to use the A15 Bionic chipset that powers the iPhone 13 lineup.
If this is true, it also means that Apple would be one of the only companies globally that have a lineup of all 5G-ready phones.
Other reports have suggested that the phone is already in the advanced stage of manufacturing and a launch in March is also on the cards. That would make sense as it's a similar time of year to when we saw the iPhone SE debut in 2020.
Take all of this information with a pinch of salt for now as we haven't heard a huge amount of detail around the iPhone SE 3, but it does sound like it'll be with us in the next couple of months so we should have more official details soon.
Analysis: This will look tired in 2022
Apple is always slow to upgrade its iPhone SE lineup. This latest leak is suggesting Apple will be using a similar design to a phone from 2018.
The report suggests the phone's design will still retain the physical Touch ID sensor instead of the Face ID that is used in most newer Apple phones, and the screen size is also expected to remain the same at 4.7-inches.
For some, keeping those key details with upgraded internals will be a reason to upgrade but it means you'll lose out on modern features such as Face ID and a slimmer design that's offered by the iPhone 11's body.
The tipster does say that the more modern-looking iPhone SE reminiscent of an iPhone XR or iPhone 11 will probably launch in 2024. Again, that's a long time to wait for a design we first saw debut in phones in 2019.
Via GSMArena
Big DJI Mavic 3 update finally turns it into a true flagship drone
Our DJI Mavic 3 review discovered that the drone was almost certainly rushed to market last November, but another big firmware update has plugged all of the remaining feature gaps in DJI's flagship.
The new Mavic 3 firmware (v01.00.0500), which is available now, brings four key features: QuickShots (which are DJI's automated flight modes), QuickTransfer (which lets you directly connect the drone to your phone via Wi-Fi), a Panorama mode and D-Log color assistance, which gives you a preview of what your graded footage will look like.
Collectively, these won't transform the performance of the drone, but they are the final missing pieces in a feature-set that the Mavic 3 should have had at launch. The update follows a surprise update in December that delivered features including FocusTrack, MasterShots, and Timelapse.
To get the latest update you need to update the DJI Fly App to v1.5.8, which is available now for both iOS and Android, via the DJI website . Once that's done, you'll be able to install the new aircraft firmware to access the new features.
We're in the process of re-testing the DJI's flagship drone with the two recent firmware updates, and we'll update our DJI Mavic 3 review when we've seen how it performs. While we didn't find any of its missing features to be deal-breakers, awarding it four stars due to its excellent Four Thirds camera and handy telephoto lens, there were simply too many holes for us to recommend it wholeheartedly. But we'll find out soon if it's now able to take the top spot in our guide to the best drones .
Analysis: a new battle in the skies
The DJI Mavic 3's unfinished feel at launch is symptomatic of an increasingly common problem with tech, which sees products released with the promise of future features being added via firmware.
We've seen a similar situation with cameras like the Nikon Z9 and Canon EOS R5 , with the latter benefitting significantly from updates that addressed overheating and autofocus issues following its launch.
But the Mavic 3 has been perhaps the starkest example of a rushed launch, with the drone arriving without several features, including FocusTrack, Timelapses and Panoramas, that come as standard on much cheaper models.
Not many of those features are absolute essentials for pro pilots, and the drone itself flew well and took fantastic video and photos, hence our four-star rating. But we're looking forward to seeing if the more polished experience makes the DJI Mavic 3 worthy of the top spot in our best drones guide.
The good news for drone fans is that DJI finally has some strong competition from the likes of Autel, which has now released compelling flying cameras like the Autel Evo Lite+ , which we awarded five stars. With Skydio also applying pressure on DJI in the US, the net result should be better drones offering a more complete user experience, which is a win for everyone.