Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 will debut in less than two weeks. But don't hold out too long to find out what Samsung intends to offer with its latest foldable phone.

Thanks to a steady stream of rumors, and some assurances from Samsung, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the Galaxy Z Fold 3. We're looking at a bigger upgrade than last year's Galaxy Z Fold 2 as Samsung looks to broaden the foldable device's appeal to the mainstream.

And Samsung has plenty of pressure to achieve that goal. The company has put all its eggs in the foldable phone basket by not launching a new Galaxy Note this year and pushing aside the Galaxy Note 21.

Here are some Galaxy Z Fold 3 upgrades that may justify that decision.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 could be the first Samsung phone to include features long rumored for the electronics maker's premium handset. It is only visible when the user attempts to take a selfie, and is invisible at other times.

In other words, there will be no cutout for the camera or for housing the lens, providing an uninterrupted screen area; given that the Z Fold 3's internal display is expected to grow to 7.6 inches, this would be a very large screen area.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 would not be the first phone to offer an under-display camera; the ZTE Axon 20 5G pulled off the same trick over a year ago. However, it will be the first Samsung handset to boast this type of feature, and could pave the way for future Samsung handsets to adopt this feature.

One potential source of disappointment with this feature may be the size of the sensor located under the display. Evan Blass, a reputable leaker, suggests that the lens will be a paltry 4MP sensor. Others have suggested a 16MP selfie cam, but that may be wishful thinking.

Previous versions of Samsung's foldable phone offered ample screen space for working with multiple apps simultaneously. With the continuity feature, the Galaxy Fold can be opened to provide a larger work area while using apps on the cover display. For example, when making a video call, the top half of the Fold's screen can be used as the viewing area and the bottom half as the operating area.

These are pretty cool features if your favorite apps support them. And that has been the drawback of Samsung's Foldable so far. Some apps can take advantage of the extra screen space on the Galaxy Fold to improve multitasking, while others can't.

Samsung is telling everyone that is changing. In a blog post previewing Samsung's August 11 plans, mobile division leader T.M. Roh promised improved compatibility with the latest versions of both apps and the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip. For our third generation Galaxy Z phones, we have even more partner apps lined up that take full advantage of the versatile fold format," Roh said.

The S Pen, once a Galaxy Note-only stylus, began to branch out earlier this year when Samsung included S Pen support in the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Sold as a separate accessory, the S Pen was useful for jotting down notes and reminders on the S21 Ultra's 6.8-inch screen.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 received a similar treatment, and once again, confirmation of this rumor comes directly from Samsung. Roh said, "We hope you will join us as we debut the next Galaxy Z family and share our folding wonders, including the first ever S Pen designed specifically for folding phones."

Of course, there will be support for the S Pen, like an optional accessory for the S21 Ultra, and the stylus will be integrated with the phone, as has been the case all along with the Galaxy Note. Sadly, the rumors have not been too kind to that desire, with some suggesting that a separate Galaxy Z Fold 3 case will be required to accommodate the S Pen. Hopefully Samsung will bundle it with the phone instead of charging extra for it.

Since the first Galaxy Fold was announced in 2019 and then quickly postponed as Samsung worked out design flaws, phone makers have been trying to make more durable devices. The motivation for this is understandable. If foldable phones go mainstream, it's because shoppers can be confident that the device won't collapse the first time it comes into contact with another substance.

Samsung took a step toward that with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, employing a layer of ultra-thin glass to make the foldable display look more sturdy. Samsung has also taken steps to keep dust and other display-damaging particles out.

If the rumors about Samsung's upcoming foldable are true, the next step appears to be IPX8 water resistance. This means that the Galaxy Z Fold can be submerged under about a meter of water without suffering catastrophic damage. It looks like another way for Samsung to convince skeptical shoppers that spending money on a foldable is money well spent.

It is very important to position the Galaxy Z Fold 3 as a value. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 debuted at $1999. The current price of $1,799 is not much better; it is no wonder that one of the most common Galaxy Z Fold 3 rumors concerns Samsung's desire to lower the cost of the foldable.

Current rumors do not indicate whether Samsung can make that happen. One report puts the price of the foldable at 1.9 to 1.99 million won, which translates to $1,660 to $1,750.

Clearly, price is an important feature for the Galaxy Z Fold 3. After all, what good are the other enhancements if the phone remains too expensive for most people to purchase?