The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a stylish and compact foldable phone that offers a unique user experience. While it’s still an expensive device, the lower price point compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 makes it more accessible. In addition to its sleek design, the Z Flip 3 boasts improved durability with IPX8 water resistance, making it more practical for everyday use. But what about its functionality? Is the Z Flip 3 a worthwhile investment, or is it just a fashion statement? Let’s delve deeper into its features, performance, and shortcomings to see if it lives up to the hype.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Price and Variants
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is priced significantly lower than its larger sibling, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but still sits firmly in the flagship territory. The base model, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, starts at Rs. 84,999. The higher-end variant, offering 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, is priced at Rs. 88,999. While the base model offers decent storage, it lacks expandability, so choosing wisely before purchase is crucial. I would have preferred more RAM in the higher-end variant. Similar to the Galaxy Fold 3, pre-booking the Galaxy Z Flip 3 offered potential cash back offers and bundled Samsung Care+ for a year.
In terms of colour options, Samsung currently offers only Cream and Phantom Black in India. However, other markets have access to Lavender, Grey, White, Green, and Pink models.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is easy to manage with one hand when folded
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 retains dimensions similar to its predecessor, even weighing the same at 183g. However, the design and material aesthetics have received an upgrade. The external aluminium frame now boasts a matte finish, adding to its elegant appeal but making the phone surprisingly slippery. The most significant design change is the larger cover screen, now measuring 1.9 inches (up from 1.1 inches) with a higher resolution. While it’s more responsive, its functionality remains limited, as we’ll explore later.
Samsung has darkened the area around the cover screen along with the camera module, creating the illusion of a much larger display panel. The remaining upper half of the top panel and the entire bottom panel are color-matched, depending on the chosen colour variant.
Although the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3’s design evokes classic clamshell phones, achieving a complete "flip" open requires two hands. While persistent users can master opening it with one hand, it’s quite challenging and risking damage to the foldable display with fingernails is a concern. The hinge feels sturdy and operates with slightly less resistance than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, simplifying opening and closing.
The exterior of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, while the internal display features Samsung’s Ultra Thin Glass (UTG). While the latter boasts improved durability compared to its predecessor, slight pressure from sharp objects can leave noticeable marks, similar to observations with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The crease is highly noticeable during scrolling or interaction with content, passing through the middle of the inner display. Although distracting initially, it becomes less noticeable with time.
Build quality and the fit and finish of the panels are excellent
The main 6.7-inch display is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with the same resolution as its predecessor, now featuring a 120Hz maximum refresh rate. Colours are vibrant, and brightness is sufficient for indoor use, though the screen can wash out under direct sunlight. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s under-display camera, the Z Flip 3 opts for a hole-punch cutout, a welcome improvement in terms of display quality.
The retail box includes only the phone, a USB Type-C cable, and a SIM eject tool. Samsung offers a variety of cases for the Galaxy Flip 3, including a keychain-type case. The case I received, costing Rs. 3,799, is well-built and enhances grip for easier handling.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Specifications and Software
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and reportedly supporting the same number of 5G bands. However, it lacks S Pen stylus support, but boasts IPX8 water resistance. Dex support is another missing feature. Battery capacity is modest at 3,300mAh, and the "fast" charging speed is limited to 15W, compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s 25W. This means even with a high-wattage USB PD charger, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 takes over an hour to fully charge, not exactly quick, particularly considering the price point.
Flex Mode on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 makes some apps more ergonomic to use when the display is folded half way
The OneUI software tricks seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 have been adapted for the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Due to its slim form factor, split-screen mode can only accommodate two apps simultaneously, with up to five floating windows. While app support for multi-window and Flex modes can be manually enabled, the Labs features available on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 are not present here.
This brings us to the cover screen, which despite improvements over the previous model, still lacks sufficient functionality. While it allows setting different widgets and backgrounds, its larger size enables previewing notifications, but direct replying to messages or emails remains unavailable. I would have preferred basic templated responses like "okay" without needing to unfold the phone. The Motorola Razr 5G’s cover screen is significantly more functional in this regard. Considering this, Samsung could have opted for an even larger display for enhanced functionality.
The cover screen supports specific gestures. A swipe down changes the ringing mode and adjusts cover screen brightness, a swipe right shows unread notifications, and a swipe up from the bottom opens Samsung Pay. Continuing to swipe left cycles through widgets for music, weather, alarms, voice recorder, etc. Widget display and order can be customized in the Settings app. Double-pressing the power button launches the camera app, making the cover screen the viewfinder.
The cover screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is more responsive than before but it’s still missing basic functionality
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Performance and Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 performed exceptionally well during the review period. Upon initial use, adjusting the homescreen and app drawer grid size to avoid comically large icons and reducing keyboard height, which defaults to taking up more than half the display, were necessary. While OneUI runs smoothly, slight lag was noticeable when opening numerous floating windows over two apps already running in split-screen.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is significantly easier to handle than the Galaxy Z Fold 3. It fits comfortably in pockets without bulging. Call quality was also satisfactory. Answering a call using the cover screen automatically engages the speaker, but switching to the earpiece upon opening the phone doesn’t happen automatically, which I would have preferred. Closing the phone during a call automatically ends the call.
Games look great and run very well on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Benchmark scores mirrored those of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 achieved 6,87,029 points in AnTuTu and 119fps in GFXBench’s T-Rex gaming test. These scores translate well into actual gaming performance. Titles like Asphalt 9: Legends and Call of Duty: Mobile looked and ran flawlessly. The stereo speakers are commendable, and Dolby Atmos can be enabled for an enhanced audio experience. HDR videos look impressive, but most content displays thick black bars at the edges unless it’s native 21:9 content.
Battery life was satisfactory with moderate usage. With light usage, the battery lasted just over a full day. However, heavy video watching or extended gaming sessions significantly reduced battery life. In our HD video loop test, the phone lasted for 10 hours and 52 minutes, below average. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 supports 10W wireless charging and functions as a wireless charger for other devices.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Cameras
The cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 are modest for a flagship phone. The setup mirrors the Galaxy Z Fold 3, excluding the telephoto camera. Two 12-megapixel sensors are positioned externally, featuring wide and ultra-wide lenses, along with a 10-megapixel selfie camera. The phone supports 4K 60fps video recording, and includes all the standard shooting modes expected from Samsung’s 2021 flagships.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 main camera sample (tap to see full size)
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 ultra-wide-angle camera sample (tap to see full size)
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 captures detailed images with accurate colours in sufficient lighting conditions. HDR is handled effectively, with well-exposed highlights and sufficient shadow detail. Digital zoom goes up to 10X, but quality degrades at higher magnification. Close-up shots offer exceptional detail and pleasing background blur.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 close-up camera sample (tap to see full size)
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 main camera Night mode sample (tap to see full size)
Low-light photos are also impressive, as the camera app automatically activates Night mode. However, this doesn’t happen with the ultra-wide camera, requiring manual Night mode activation to obtain usable long exposure shots. Videos capture good detail and stabilization in well-lit environments, but low-light footage suffers from noise and jitter during walking and shooting. The selfie camera captures appealing selfies during the day and performs decently in low light.
Verdict
The main competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the Motorola Razr 5G, priced at Rs. 89,999, available solely in a 256GB storage variant. This aligns closely with the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s 256GB variant price. Despite their similarity in price, they aren’t direct competitors, as the Razr 5G falls under the mid-range category, while the Galaxy Z Flip 3 offers flagship-level specifications.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 makes a bold fashion statement and feels refined enough for daily use, parallel to the Galaxy Z Fold 3. It’s important to reiterate that despite the durable exterior, the foldable display still necessitates careful handling. Battery life is underwhelming, particularly for content-heavy users, and the external screen lacks functionality. However, if these shortcomings aren’t significant concerns, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 can be a fun and unique smartphone addition to your digital life.
