Samsung Galaxy Z Flip-3 Review: Product Insights & Features
Samsung has taken the wraps off the newest edition of its Galaxy Z Flip phone. Labelled the Z Flip 3 5G, this new smartphone keeps the foldable clamshell design that folds and unfolds vertically like an old-style flip phone. This is different from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold lineup, which folds and unfolds horizontally. The flip design offers a smaller display when the phone is unfolded when compared with the original Z Fold. However, the Z Flip provides a compact and pocket-friendly form factor and is priced at a lower price than its predecessor.
As Samsung named the latest phone the Z Flip 3 5G, there was no smartphone named the Z Flip 2. Samsung introduced the original Z Flip in 2020. Then it was followed by the launch of the Z Flip 5G. Samsung named the Flip 3 to match the lines of the Z Fold 3. For most users, the Z Flip 3 5G might be similar to the Z Flip 5G from 2020. Both the smartphones provide the clamshell form factor with a 6.7-inch main display, 5G compatibility, dual rear 12MP cameras, a 10MP front camera, and storage capacity of 128GB and 256GB. The Z Flip 3 is better than the previous version due to a larger front cover display with a faster refresh rate, a powerful processor, and a reduced price.
A Foldable Smartphone
The star feature of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G is the foldable form factor. With the Z Flip and Z Fold series, Samsung has been praising foldability as a capability and the latest innovation to attract new buyers. When the phone is closed, the display enables you to view your calendar, check the weather, monitor your workout and perform a number of tasks. Samsung provides cover screen widgets that can be set up and customized to use your favorite apps. The cover screen widget comes with Samsung Pay to pay without opening the phone. The phone is 4.2 inches diagonally when folded, so it fits in a pocket.
Along with the original Z Flip, the Hideaway Hinge on the Z Flip 3 5G enables you to point your phone at any angle. Due to the Sweeper technology, the bristles encased in the hinge are shorter to avoid dust and debris to collect inside. Apparently, the phone is designed to hold up after 200,000 folds.
Samsung’s Flex mode comes into play when the phone is partially folded. Applications designed for this mode will instantly change their size or layout to fit the dual-screen. For instance, you read emails in Outlook on one screen and preview other emails on the other screen. As of now, only a few apps support the Flex mode. Samsung advised that they are working on other applications.
Display
The revamped AMOLED display on the Z Flip 3 5G has been increased to 1.9 inches with a resolution of 260 x 512 pixels. This is a good change from the previous 1.05-inch screen and a resolution of 112 x 300 pixels on the Z Flip 5G. You can simply open the phone, and the Dynamic AMOLED main display is still 6.7 inches with the same resolution of 2,640 x 1,080 pixels. The refresh rate has been doubled from 60Hz to 120Hz which is faster and pleasing to the eye.
Storage and Processor
The Z Flip 3 5G runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. It is much faster than the Snapdragon 865 Plus available in the Z Flip 5G. The latest 888 processor comes with a 6th gen Qualcomm AI engine, a Tensor accelerator with double capacity. Moreover, it has a score of 26 for TOPS (trillions of operations per second) performance. The smartphone has 8GB RAM and internal storage of 128GB or 256GB. There is no way to add extra storage as there is no additional SD card slot.
Camera
The Z Flip 3 5G has a rear dual 12MP camera as the Z Flip 5G model. This camera provides an aperture of F1.8 and a field of view of 78 degrees. The F2.2 ultra-wide camera has an impressive FOV of 123 degrees. The ultra-wide also adds dual pixel autofocus for more reliable autofocusing and optical image stabilization (OIS) to click steady pictures. For videos, the rear camera offers a 10x digital zoom and HDR10+ recording. The 10MP front camera includes an F2.4 aperture with a FOV of 80 degrees.
The camera offers various distinct shooting modes. The Portrait mode allows you to switch the depth of field and lighting. The Night mode retains appropriate colors and clarity even under low light conditions. Hyperlapse mode is perfect for long-exposure shots. Additionally, the Director’s View mode allows you to shoot videos from multiple angles and cameras.
Connectivity
Similar to the previous model, the Z Flip 3 5G provides 5G connectivity for locations with revamped wireless connectivity. The new smartphone facilitates Sub6 for broader coverage and millimeter wave (mmWave) for higher speeds. Also, the Samsung phone comes with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC and GPS.
Battery
The Z Flip 3 5G has the same dual 3300mAh battery as 2020’s Z Flip smartphone. However, the introduction of the Snapdragon 888 processor will boost its performance. So, you will be able to extract more juice from a single charge. Moreover, there is support for fast charging and wireless charging with 15W fast, 10W fast wireless and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.
Durability
The Z Flip 3 5G is encased in Armor Aluminium, the strongest aluminium on a Galaxy smartphone. The primary cover screen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus to safeguard against drops and minor scratches. The Gorilla Victus can survive drops on hard surfaces from up to 7 feet. It is also 4x more scratch resistant when compared to other Galaxy smartphones.
The screen is covered with a protective film made up of stretchable PET, making it eighty percent more durable than previous models. Moreover, the Z Flip 3 is rated IPX8 for water resistance upto 3.3 feet of water.
Security
The Z Flip 3 5G has both facial recognition and a fingerprint sensor to unlock the screen and for authentication. The fingerprint data and other information is protected under Samsung’s Knox security. A unique secure folder separates private files like apps, photos and videos.
OS and Color Availability
The Z Flip 3 5G comes with Android 11. Samsung has also included a unique version of its One UI interface built to leverage the foldable format. Moreover, the Z Flip 3 5G comes in four colors: Cream, Green, Lavender and Phantom Black. Samsung also provides three exclusive colors: Gray, White and Pink.
Final Word
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G has been launched on Aug 27 in some regions like the U.S, Europe and Korea. Users who order the smartphone will automatically get 1 year of Samsung Care+ to insure the phone for accidental damage, screen replacement, water damage and cover replacement. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G is priced at $1000 for the 128GB variant and $1,049 for the 256GB variant. Do you fancy a foldable smartphone? Though it started as a gimmick, the foldable phone has improved leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. Would you buy a foldable phone? What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Dhruvil is a Writer & Marketeer for Nimblechapps, joining December 2014, based out of Sydney, Australia. He has worked briefly as a Branding and Digital Marketing Manager before moving to Australia. At Nimblechapps, he worked on Social Media Marketing, Branding, Email Marketing and Blogging. Dhruvil studies Business at University of Western Sydney, and also handles Operations for the company in Australia.