Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Review: Flippin’ Fantastic

Let’s get this out of the best way: the Galaxy Z Flip 3 isn’t an ideal phone (as a result of there’s no such factor). But it surely’s a phone that totally nails what it units out to: supply a premium-feeling folding phone that appears improbable, feels tremendous to make use of, and doesn’t charge the Earth.

The easiest model of this phone would almost certainly have fairly higher cameras – yet then it will charge a couple of hundred extra. Or perhaps it will have longer battery lifestyles – yet if that’s the case it wouldn’t be part so compact.

Samsung made the fitting compromises, and the end result is not just a foldable that may stand toe-to-toe with its slab phone opponents, yet is with ease probably the most thrilling phone this yr.

Design and construct

• New, progressed design
• IPX8 water-resistance
• Enhanced sturdiness – however the hinge remains to be inclined

Ultimate yr’s Galaxy Z Flip and Z Flip 5G appeared beautiful improbable, so it used to be a slight marvel that Samsung went again to the planning stage for the sequence’ 0.33 phone. Thankfully my scepticism used to be unwarranted, as the corporate discovered area for a number of key enhancements.

The wide form and measurement of the phone hasn’t modified a lot, however the aesthetics have. Long past are the reflected, metal finishes of the primary gen, change by means of extra muted two-tone designs. I’ve been trying out the phone in cream, yet you’ll additionally clutch it in black, pink, or darkish inexperienced – with a couple of extra online-only colors with a black trim to be had from Samsung’s internet retailer.

The colors all glance tremendous, however the larger trade is the brand new black bar that takes up nearly part the phone’s entrance. This encompasses no longer solely the 2 outer cameras, but in addition the bigger duvet reveal. The design right here manages to cover this reveal when it’s no longer in use, and even if it’s the black background used all through makes it really feel like a continuing a part of the frame, fairly than a display screen protruding.

The Z Flip 3 doesn’t simply glance higher than its predecessors – it is harder too. The headline here’s the inclusion of an IPX8 ranking, which means that there’s the similar stage of water-resistance as on maximum flagship telephones, yet no ranking for dust-protection – so that you’ll nonetheless need to watch out on the seaside.

The brand new ‘Armour Aluminium’ body is supposedly 10% harder than prior to, whilst Gorilla Glass Victus – the hardest round – coats the frame and Gorilla Glass DX sits above the lenses.

I do have a confession right here: in my week with the Flip 3 I’ve controlled to drop it. A snappy fumble as I took it from my pocket left the phone tumbling a metre onto a cobbled boulevard. A few scuffs and a small dent apart, it nonetheless works flawlessly – despite the fact that the dent in query is true at the hinge itself, possibly the phone’s weakest level.

I will’t promise that the Z Flip 3 is as difficult as usual ‘slab’ flagships, and it obviously has a couple of new vulnerabilities. However it will probably continue to exist a tumble, and doesn’t really feel like a phone that must be babied.

Show

• 6.7in, 120Hz foldable reveal
• Sure, there is a crease – yet it isn’t important
• Stepped forward 1.9in outer display screen

There are two shows to imagine with the Flip 3. Let’s get started with the primary one.

The 6.7in folding display screen is a Complete HD+ AMOLED panel – the similar as prior to – yet this yr has a welcome bump as much as a 120Hz refresh charge, which nets you smoother and extra fluid animations.

Should you haven’t attempted a folding phone prior to you could be shocked by means of how forged the Flip 3’s reveal in reality feels, and by means of how little you have a tendency to note the central crease.

Nonetheless, it’s there. It’s no longer so visual head-on, yet at angles or towards mild backgrounds you are going to see the crease beautiful simply. You’ll additionally really feel it any time you scroll over that central line, which is almost certainly the larger annoyance of the 2.

While you first get the phone it feels love it issues. Inside of a couple of hours of use, it in point of fact doesn’t. Don’t overthink it.

As for the outer duvet reveal, I’ve already discussed that it’s greater than prior to at 1.9in – now able to becoming in widgets and controls, fairly than mere notification icons.

(*3*)

You’ll be able to arrange widgets for track controls, climate signals, alarms, the doorstep depend, and extra, out there by means of swiping to the only facet. Swiping the wrong way brings up notifications – which you’ll even learn from the small display screen – whilst swiping down from the highest provides you with brightness and quantity controls. You’ll be able to additionally customize the default clock with a couple of a laugh animated choices, and arrange a easy always-on reveal.

Necessarily, there’s sufficient right here to make the quilt display screen helpful with out making it so large as to get in the best way of the design. I’d welcome a bit of extra customisability at the widgets, and perhaps a couple of fast message answer choices with out opening the phone, yet another way this looks like a in point of fact neatly designed a part of the phone.

Specifications and connectivity

• Sturdy, flagship specifications
• 5G fortify
• No dual-SIM

The primary-gen Galaxy Z Flip used what used to be on the time a fairly older chipset, in what used to be possibly a cost-cutting measure. Impressively, in spite of in reality decreasing the cost this time Samsung hasn’t attempted to escape with that way once more – as an alternative you’ll in finding this yr’s flagship Snapdragon 888 within, the similar chip used within the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the S21 telephones.

Along side 8GB of RAM that nets you speedy efficiency around the board, able to rivalling absolutely anything rather then top-spec gaming telephones.

Garage may be forged, with a decision between 128GB or 256GB of speedy UFS 3.1 garage – despite the fact that without a microSD slot, you gained’t be capable to enlarge this in the event you ever run out.

The Snapdragon 888 additionally delivers 5G fortify. There’s unfortunately solely area for one bodily SIM card, however the phone can fortify a bodily SIM and an eSIM concurrently.

Past all that you just’ll get Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC. There’s face unencumber pushed by means of the only selfie digital camera, and a fingerprint unencumber the use of a side-mounted scanner – no longer an under-display possibility.

Battery and charging

• Handiest simply lasts a complete day
• 15W stressed out and 10W wi-fi charging
• Charger bought one by one

It’s all been rosy thus far, yet now it’s time to get into what are unequivocally the phone’s susceptible issues – despite the fact that I no doubt would not imagine them crippling.

First up, the Z Flip 3 packs a piddly little 3300mAh battery – a ways smaller than maximum mainstream Android telephones at the moment. With light-to-typical utilization it’s going to final a complete day, yet heavier customers will fight.

Taking it on vacation with me, I discovered {that a} day of Google Maps and picture taking used to be an excessive amount of for it, with the battery steadily demise round 7pm. That’s with 120Hz and the quilt display screen’s always-on reveal enabled despite the fact that, so it will be conceivable to squeeze some additional lifestyles out of the phone in the event you have been prepared to sacrifice both of the ones – and keep in mind that commute does contain in particular heavy utilization.

As consistently with a phone despite the fact that, that is the most productive the battery will ever be – a yr or two into the phone’s lifestyles or even with mild use it almost certainly gained’t final the day.

Batteries are cumbersome, and I feel Samsung made the fitting selection in prioritising the phone’s narrow, light-weight design over longevity. But it surely does imply that this phone gained’t be for everybody, and no doubt gained’t please energy customers.

The mediocre battery could be more uncomplicated to swallow if Samsung had paired it with speedy charging speeds, however the 15W charging here’s sluggish by means of Android requirements – even the small battery right here crowned up by means of simply 46% in part an hour the use of a third-party charger. On that word, keep in mind that Samsung doesn’t send the phone with any charger, so that you’ll wish to use an present USB-C charger to peak it up – or purchase a brand new one.

There’s 10W wi-fi charging despite the fact that, and sluggish 4.5W opposite wi-fi charging for different units, despite the fact that the use of both type of wi-fi does see the phone warmth up a good bit.

I don’t suppose the phone’s battery and charging obstacles are a dealbreaker for me, yet I will see why they might be for others. Weigh up how heavy a phone consumer you might be – and the way prepared you might be to hold round an influence financial institution each and every now and again.

Digicam

• Twin rear digital camera
• Aggressive in nice lights
• Slab phone opponents nonetheless win on versatility and lowlight

If the battery lifestyles is objectively sub-par, the digital camera high quality at the Z Flip 3 is a extra subjective fear.

Samsung has made up our minds to re-use final yr’s digital camera specifications, which means you get a 12Mp major lens and 12Mp ultrawide, along side a 10Mp punch-hole selfie lens.

Those cameras have been good-but-not-great final yr, and to be truthful the similar holds true now. Easy photographs for social media will pop out neatly, particularly in nice lights, yet efficiency will undergo in dimmer stipulations and plenty of will omit the additional choices afforded by means of a telephoto lens.

The 12Mp, f/1.8 major lens will probably be nice sufficient for the general public. Colors are shiny and punchy, and 12Mp remains to be lots for crisp element. It in reality holds its personal in lowlight, helped by means of the inclusion of optical symbol stabilisation, despite the fact that is no doubt noisier and no more detailed than the most productive at this. It struggles maximum with HDR, tending to over-expose shiny backgrounds, leading to blown-out skies.

The wide-angle and selfie lenses are a identical tale, yet due to the smaller f/2.2 and f/2.4 apertures and loss of OIS, the issues are exacerbated. Lowlight efficiency here’s worse, with fuzzier, less-detailed effects, and the tendency to blow out shiny lighting fixtures is exaggerated.

There are some digital camera benefits afforded by means of the foldable shape issue alternatively. The form manner the digital camera can prop itself as much as your selection of attitude – best for video calls, or for atmosphere the phone up for timed selfies. You’ll be able to in a similar fashion select to ship a cropped preview of the viewfinder to the quilt reveal – which means in the event you’re taking a portrait of anyone they’ll get a glimpse of the way they give the impression of being prior to you are taking the shot.

More often than not the footage out of any of the lenses right here will cling their very own even towards peak telephones, particularly to the untrained eye. Advances in smartphone images at the moment are concerned with edge instances – night time images, difficult lights, and excessive zoom – and it’s solely right here that the Flip 3 can’t compete.

Does that subject? More than likely to not maximum, and I believe the Flip 3 will discover a sizeable target audience prepared to make that compromise for the original design. And if that is not you, then Samsung has the S21 sequence able and ready.

Instrument

• Ships with Android 11
• 3 years of Android updates

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 introduced working Android 11, with Samsung’s OneUI 3.1 on peak.

Samsung has dedicated to offering 3 years of Android model updates to the phone – which must duvet the approaching Android 12, but in addition variations 13 and 14 – along side a fourth yr of safety patches. That’s one of the most easiest Android replace guarantees you’ll in finding, solely in point of fact outpaced by means of Google itself.

OneUI is without doubt one of the higher Android variants round at the moment. It’s harassed by means of slightly an excessive amount of pointless muddle, and every now and then can really feel extra inflexible and rigid than opponents, nevertheless it’s additionally fast, horny, and easy-to-use – arguably extra essential elements.

Samsung has additionally executed a nice activity of incorporating fortify for its foldable’s distinctive options. I’ve already discussed some of the digital camera options, yet there are different good touches.

Faucet on a notification or widget at the duvet display screen, and the app will probably be able while you open the phone. You’ll be able to additionally configure choices round calls in order that opening and shutting the phone will solution and finish calls respectively.

It’s going to even recognise when you’ve got the reveal in part open. Should you prop the phone up on a desk, the Samsung gallery app will transfer footage to the highest part of the display screen so that you can scroll thru, and will do the similar with video in a couple of suitable apps.

Worth and availability

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is to be had international now, with two costs relying at the garage you wish to have:

• 128GB: £949/$999/€1,049/₹84,999
• 256GB: £999/$1,049/€1,099/₹88,999

I gained’t faux that £949/$999 is reasonable for a phone, yet in comparison to the £1,399/$1,449 beginning worth of the Z Flip 5G it’s an absolute scouse borrow.

At this worth you’ll most likely be weighing the Flip 3 up towards different peak flagships like Samsung’s personal Galaxy S21, the brand new iPhone 13 sequence, or Chinese language opponents just like the Xiaomi Mi 11 or Oppo To find X3 Professional.

To be blunt, any of those telephones will beat the Flip on images prowess, battery lifestyles, and sturdiness. However none of them fold in part. Individually, I’d make that business any day – nevertheless it’s comprehensible in the event you wouldn’t.

Verdict

I really like the Galaxy Z Flip 3. However then I cherished the primary Z Flip too, and that is an progressed model of that at a a lot better worth.

There are drawbacks – battery and digital camera essentially, despite the fact that sturdiness is in there too – and also you’ll know if the ones are dealbreakers for you.

However for the general public, I feel they gained’t be. And Samsung has completely nailed the classy and capability of this way issue, sufficient in order that it looks like an unequivocal improve on an ordinary phone and now not has the prototype sheen of the primary gen.

Should you don’t get the enchantment of a foldable turn phone then this would possibly not win you over – yet in the event you’re tempted, then there’s in point of fact no wish to wait any more. That is the true deal.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Specifications

• Android 11 with One UI
• 6.7in Complete HD+ (2640×1080) foldable 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X with HDR10+ fortify
• 1.9in Tremendous AMOLED (260×512) duvet display screen
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 octa-core processor
• 8GB RAM
• 128/256GB inside garage
• 12Mp, f/1.8, OIS rear digital camera + 12Mp extremely broad, f/2.2
• 10Mp, f/2.4 entrance digital camera
• Aspect-mounted fingerprint scanner
• 2D face popularity
• Wi-Fi 6
• Bluetooth 5.2
• GPS
• NFC
• 4G LTE
• IPX8
• USB-C
• 3300mAh non-removable battery
• 15W stressed out charging
• Wi-fi charging
• Spread out: 166 x 72.2 x 6.9mm
• Folded: 86.4 x 72.2 x 17.1-15.9mm
• 183g