Folding phones are the future, Samsung would have us believe. It’s currently releasing not one, but two, folders. There’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, first of all, which is phone-sized when folded but opens out to be a tablet—you can read a review of that here. Then there’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, which is the size of a regular smartphone when it’s open but folds down to half that so it can fit in a smaller pocket.
I’d say this is by far the preferable form factor, offering decent screen real estate, around the same size as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but also remarkable pocketability as it’s so compact when folded.
The new phone sees an improved design, better processor, water resistance, a bigger external screen and more. Oh, and a significant price drop. Here’s everything you need to know about all those new aspects.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 In a Nutshell
Pros:
- Sleek, attractive design
- Excellent feel and durability
- Great folding screen
- Unbeatable pocket-fit
Cons:
- Average cameras
- Cover screen still limited
- Tricky to open one-handed
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: Technical Specifications
Price From $999 | Cameras: 12MP ultra wide, 12MP wide, 10MP selfie camera | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED 2x 120Hz foldable display, plus 1.9-inch Super AMOLED Cover display | Storage: No SD slot, 128GB-512GB internal Memory: 8GB | Battery size: 3300 mAh | Dimensions: Folded 86.4 x 72.2 x 15.9-17.1 mm, Unfolded 166 x 72.2 x 6.9 mm | Weight 183g
Smart, snappy design
Despite the numerology in its name, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is only second in its generation, with Samsung having bumped its number to match the third iteration of the bigger brother Z Fold. But the design this time around is way more attractive than before.
There’s the color, for a start. Who knew a cream phone could look so good? The glossy finish looks very cool: Bright and easy to find in a backpack or bag, with a small dark-finish panel at the edge where the cameras and the outside display sit. The silver matte-finish edging is classy and includes a hinge with the brand name stenciled in, though you only see this when the phone is folded shut.
If you’re not mad about cream, well, there’s also the demure (I’m really saying boring) Phantom black, plus green and lavender. Exclusive to Samsung and not available for a few weeks yet are gray, white and pink options.
Inside, the phone looks identical, whichever color you choose. That’s because it is all screen, with a central camera cut-out near the top edge. This camera is also a source of security, with facial recognition smarts checking you out when you look at it, though there’s also a nifty and effective fingerprint sensor in the phone’s side button which is faster. You can use either, or both.
The phone is slim when open, a bit chunky when closed. Either is easy to handle. I’d say this is the best-looking folding phone from any manufacturer, and by a long chalk.
Build quality—the hinge
This is an important detail when you have a folding screen. Early folders suffered from imperfect designs or a strong feeling of fragility that made you want to treat them with kid gloves. That was even true of the last Samsung flip phone, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. But the difference between that and this is night and day.
Of course, I’m not suggesting you flip it open one-handed like a classic Star Trek Communicator. And anyway, the hinge is a little too tight for that to happen easily. And I can’t speak for long-term durability. But so far, this feels as solid and trustworthy as a regular phone.
I’ve been opening and closing the phone way more than I needed to and over the first several hundred actions, there’s been not the slightest change in how it responds: It’s continuously smooth and reassuringly consistent.
Something else new: you can now much more easily adjust the fold how you want it, with a half-way fold or quarter-fold or whatever giving you options for selfies or video calls. The externals (using what Samsung calls glasstic, which really just means plastic, but it still feels good) really do seem sturdy enough to protect the innards.
The nature of folding glass is that it can’t fold flat on itself like a piece of paper, so there’s still a gap at the hinge end when it’s folded, which potentially is a source of vulnerability. Arguably one of the biggest design changes for this phone compared to its predecessors is the addition of water-resistance.
There’s a cute extra benefit: Samsung doesn’t usually include a screen protector with its phones, but there’s one here, already applied, which adds an extra layer of security. This screen protector is firm and strong and you really don’t notice it, unlike the squidgier one on the previous folder.
On the other hand—and here’s a clue that Samsung thinks this is a more durable gadget—there’s no two-part external case included any more. One more thing about the phone’s design: If you want to plug your headphones in, look elsewhere. There’s no 3.5mm headphone jack here.
The main display
The 6.7-inch display is what you see when the phone is fully open. That’s the same measurement as on Apple’s largest-ever phone, the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The aspect ratio is different here, making this a phone that’s very slightly taller and noticeably less wide than Apple’s handset.
It’s also much thinner when open and much thicker when closed. The thing about a screen that bends in half is that there has to be a point in the middle where it folds. You can see this from many angles and you can’t help but feel it as you rub your thumb up and down the screen, say.
But here’s the thing: When you’re watching a video on the screen, perhaps, the crease is something you quickly cease to notice, from most angles at least. Where it is noticeable is when it’s folded into an L shape, and then the half of the screen that’s facing you is a very different level of brightness and so on from the one that’s at an angle to you.
You can watch a movie on just half of the phone in this position, but honestly I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s just too little. Crease aside, this is totally a regular Samsung AMOLED screen: rich detail, eye-catching colors, great contrast and deep black hues.
The external display
The previous Z Flip 5G had a 1.1-inch external display, the one you see when the phone is closed. This one has a screen measuring 1.9 inches on the diagonal. It may not sound much more, but it means the display is almost four times as big. Enough to clearly show the time, what you’re listening to, what notifications are waiting or an animation of a rabbit jumping gaily.
It’s very good, but still limited. Want to read the text messages that are waiting? You need to open the phone, though you can launch the app from the outer display. You can read emails right on the little screen but you probably would want to open the phone to do so more easily. This is much better than before, though far from perfect.
The cameras
There are two cameras on the outside of the phone, next to that little screen. That’s a pair of 12-megapixel sensors, one with wide, one with ultra-wide lenses. These are what you’d normally call the rear cameras, which is what they become when the phone is open.
On the internal screen is a 10-megapixel camera for video calls and selfies, though you can, by double-pressing the side button with the phone closed, turn the outer display into a preview screen so you can take your selfie with the superior external cameras. This is useful, though the display only shows a portion of your shot and can require a squint to see it properly, which isn’t always the expression you want in a selfie.
The cameras are good but not exceptional: If great photos from your phone are your overriding priority, this may not be the phone for you.
Performance
The Samsung flagship from earlier in 2021 was the Galaxy S21. Samsung has put the same chip, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, in this phone. So, no surprise that this is a fast, responsive phone with no slowdown or dawdling, whatever you’re doing. This is a 5G handset, so if you’re near a suitable transmitter, this phone can keep up with whatever speedy data things you’re doing, such as streaming or downloading video.
It can play back video with buttery smoothness and everything happens at speed, from emails loading to apps opening to the camera shooting. Battery life is similarly good, lasting through a day with relative ease. For most people this will be enough, though there are certainly phones with longer battery life available.
The Z Flip 3 has wireless charging capabilities so it’s easy to top up the charge if you need to with a compatible charging pad. Speaking of charging, don’t expect to find a charging plug in the box. Like many companies now, the urge to reduce electronic waste is reflected in the box. No charging plug, though there is a cable.
Should you upgrade from the Galaxy Z Flip 5G?
I would say so. Often when companies release new phones, it’s an incremental step up from the predecessor. You can safely wait for the phone after next to come along.
But the steps forward here are very big indeed and in so many respects, the Z Flip 3 is a phone that is staggeringly different from what went before, with the exception of the cameras.
The biggest change, I’d say, is the level of durability I think this phone has. The faster refresh rate on the main display is a significant upgrade, too, plus the bigger cover screen.
Is the Samsung Z Flip 3 worth it?
Bear in mind that this phone is significantly cheaper than the Z Flip 5G. This is $999 for the 128GB version and $1,049 for the one with 256GB storage. The last phone, which is a year old, launched at $1,449 with 256GB storage. A $400 price cut, then, and more if you’re happy to settle for the lower storage level.
This sees the phone being very much more targeted at regular users than those rich early adopters you hear about. It means it’s still in the premium range, priced similarly to an iPhone 12 Pro, for instance. But that phone doesn’t fold into a supremely pocketable size.
And that’s the key here. This is a phone that’s well above average and, even if it didn’t fold, would be reasonably priced. But it does. That convenience, not to mention the novelty of it, may be enough to make this your phone of choice. \
