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One of Samsung's cult-favourite smart devices happens to be in the Galaxy Z series. It's none other than the aesthetically pleasing Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3.
The Samsung Galaxy Flip3 is a reminisce of the clamshell phone that was a favourite for many in the 2000s. Thus, it's no wonder why the Flip3 had no problem selling out within a month in Malaysia 2021. Not only that but since the debut of its predecessors, the Flip models managed to capture & maintain a strong fleet of fans.
As the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is our first flip smartphone review, the impressions and thoughts here today are gathered from over 3 weeks of use. They are strictly formed from our user experience with a regular smartphone's point of view rather than being compared with the Flip3's successful predecessors.
This review is brought to you by our video editor - Umar
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Specifications
- Processor: Snapdragon 888 5G, Octa-core
- Display: 6.7 inches Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz
- Cover Display: 1.9 inches Super AMOLED,
- Memory: 128GB/256GB ROM + 8GB RAM
- Rear Camera: Dual 12MP lenses
- Front/Selfie Camera: Single, 10MP
- Battery: Li-Po 3300 mAh, non-removable, fast charging 15W
- Connectivity: USB Type-C 3.2, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC
- Audio: Stereo speakers
- OS: Android 11, One UI 3.1.1
- Built with Armor Aluminum
- IPX8 water resistance
Build & Design
Compared to the previous generation's Galaxy Z Flip2, this new design is pretty sleek. It looks and feels complete as well as polished. If anything, the redesign of the Flip3 is more thought of and sophisticated due to the addition of the cover display which adds more functionality to the whole unit.
An important aspect of the Flip3 is the hinge. For us, it felt really sturdy whenever we held the phone at pretty much any angle with ease. Closing the Flip3 also gave a very satisfying tactile response. It feels as if we've shut the Flip3 a thousand times during our review period just because of how satisfying it was.
This generation of the Galaxy Z series is also IPX8 Water Resistant. While you should still refrain from clumsily dropping your Galaxy Z Flip3 onto sand and dust, it'll be able to survive a splash of water, a dip into the pool or be exposed to rain.
The power button is integrated with the fingerprint sensor on the right top half of the phone, next to the volume rockers. We didn't find the positioning of the power button comfortable as it's a little too high to reach & unlock without needing to readjust your hands. This is not terrible per se, but it is annoying when you have to do it every time.
Main Display
Moving on to another one of the most important aspects of a foldable phone - the foldable screen.
The main characteristic feature of the Galaxy Z Flip3 is that it flips open and gives you a traditional smartphone experience.
When folded, the phone seems small and is shaped closely in a square form. However, unfolded and the display's slightly longer than usual smartphones. The screen's a 6.7” FHD+ DYNAMIC AMOLED 2x Infinity Flex Display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. This translates to a significantly taller ratio at 21:9 than the usual 16:9 ratio we’re used to.
Another welcome addition to this series is a 120Hz refresh rate panel with support for HDR10+ and a peak brightness of 1200Nits.
If you're wondering, the crease is quite noticeable and looks not much different from the last generation. Due to its position which is right in the middle, you're also likely to feel the curve even more often than its brother - Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. So when you’re scrolling through the likes of social media, your thumb will definitely feel it.
That’s not necessarily a problem, but it's just something you'll need to get used to. And in fact, if you're focused on the contents on the screen whether it's a video or game, you'll soon forget much about the crease-fold.
Typing is also not an issue either, since the on-screen keyboard is positioned under the crease area.
Otherwise, it is still visible from certain angles, so media content will look as if it's bending inwards which can be a bit odd. All in all, not an issue for us but just some adjustment needed. Hopefully, someday, we’ll get an unfolded flush display for a more immersive experience.
Cover Display
Now onto one of the biggest changes from the Galaxy Z Flip2 - the cover display. Samsung has given us a larger cover screen on the Z Flip3 that’s about 4x bigger than the Z Flip2.
What you'll get with the Z Flip3 is a larger 1.9” Super AMOLED display that'll allow you to do some stuff without having to open/unfold the phone.
This 1.9-inch screen can be customized, such as having a few widgets displayed and for viewing your notifications. You can also quickly open up a notification and once you open up the phone, it takes you straight to the app.
What's interesting is that the volume buttons will also reverse when the phone is close/folded. A pretty nifty thought by Samsung there.
We had thoughts that the 1.9-inch screen might've just been a gimmick or if we'd actually use it often. Surprisingly, the cover display reduced our need to unconsciously open/unfold the phone and check for any notifications or change music etc. We used it a lot more than expected, which is really convenient.
Another big functionality of the cover display is giving you the ability to use it as a viewfinder for the back cameras.
Camera
Speaking of which, you can switch between photo and video modes by swiping left and right on the cover display, or even switch lenses by swiping up and down. Just tap the cover screen to take a photo or record a video. You can even use a palm shutter feature to easily capture images.
It is pretty important to note that the images taken this way will be a square 1:1 aspect ratio, and there’s no way to change that, unfortunately.
Looking at the image quality, it's average. Even though there's nothing spectacular or comparable to the Samsung flagships, the images are still pretty good. You’ve got dual 12MP cameras - wide and ultra-wide.
In terms of colour reproduction, they are decent with satisfactory colours, contrast & HDR effect. We've also tried shooting a 4K video that can go up to 60fps and it looks pretty good.
The front camera is 10MP, which is pretty standard.
Battery
Onto the battery. It’s a pretty small 3,300mAh battery that's split between the top and the bottom. Given that, remember that the phone is tiny in size but is powering a massive 120Hz AMOLED display, so you'll have to be prepared for the relatively quick drain which is a bummer. Counting only the total on-screen time, it'll last 4-5 hours with average/high usage.
Performance
Under the hood, you’ve got a 5nm Snapdragon 888 Processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB Storage which is more than capable of giving you top of the line performance when it comes to multitasking or gaming. We were able to run Call of Duty at the max frame rate and graphics pretty well.
What's great is also the fact that using the split view mode for multitasking was plenty fun and the processor is more than capable of handling that. Keep in mind though, that this will cause the battery to drain fast.
Not forgetting; the speakers on the Z Flip3 sound really good. They sound full and have great separation. Quite a bonus that we're delighted at.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is much more affordable than we expected. By no means is this a cheap device or a smartphone at all. But given that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is almost 2x the price of the Galaxy Z Flip3, so this cheaper price tag will certainly draw many users to it.
But, from a standalone point of view when using a regular smartphone, does this phone satisfy the same needs? Yes and No.
Going back to the price; other phones would do 2x or even 3x better when being compared in this aspect. Plus, taking into account the battery and camera performance, the Z Flip3 isn’t the fairest for its value.
BUT, when you consider the fun and interesting foldable nature of the Z Flip3 phone, as well as how it's able to go from a pocketable square to a fully functioning solid smartphone, it's definitely a lot easier to recommend than the previous Samsung flip phones.
In short, we'd say that you're getting a slightly above average smartphone that's aesthetic and that it also flips open.