Phones have looked the same for a decade now. They all have a similar form factor and look like slabs of glass — a style that most of us have subconsciously grown bored of. The Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, however, is a bit of a nonconformist. It looks like a compact makeup mirror, and it folds like a clamshell. But when you open it, you’re greeted with a familiar and inviting 6.7-inch touchscreen display — making for an exciting yet familiar switch up from the average smartphone we've all grown accustomed to.
With a launch price of just $999.99, the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G costs $450 less than its predecessor. Although the device is by no means cheap, its price is in line with other high-end smartphones. It can compete with them, too, thanks to its vibrant and smooth 120Hz display, its beefy processor, and more durable water-resistant construction.
Key Specs
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset
• 6.7-inch foldable FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate, 1.9-inch Super AMOLED secondary screen with 302 ppi
• Rear dual cameras with 12MP ultra wide rear camera, 12MP wide-angle camera, 10MP front selfie camera
• 8GB of RAM, 128/256GB of storage
• 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity
• 3,300 mAh battery, fast wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• Built-in stereo speakers, IPX8 waterproof
After using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G as my daily driver for a week, I have to say it’s the most fun smartphone I’ve tested in years. As corny as it may sound, it’s a piece of tech that makes me smile. Besides offering worthwhile improvements over its predecessor for a lower price point, the Z Flip3 does something no other smartphone does — makes your phone smaller and easier to pocket. As this review unfolds, we’ll break down the device’s design, dual displays, cameras, user experience, and performance, so you can decide if it’s the right folding phone for you.
DESIGN
The Galaxy Z Flip3 sports an eye-catching design that comes in seven colors. When closed, the device is about the size of and thickness of a stack of Post-it notes.
Although its design is very similar to earlier versions of the Z Flip, the smartphone’s body, screen, and hinge are made from new and more durable aluminum alloys and glass that are less likely to be damaged or scratched.
I never felt the need to baby the Flip3 like I did previous folding smartphones I’ve tested. But, speaking as a former owner of the Motorola RAZR2 (the phone Fergie rocked in the mid-2000s), I wish the Flip3 were easier to flip open and shut, which requires two hands to do so. The hinge feels a bit stiff, but I'm hopeful it will loosen up over time.
On top of the durability improvements for the metal and glass portions of the phone, the Z Flip3 is also water-resistant and has earned an IPX8 rating. Translation? It can handle complete immersion in up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) of water for 30 minutes. Although it's an impressive feature, it’s important to note that it's still not impervious to dust and saltwater. All in all, it feels as sturdy as most modern-day smartphones.
DISPLAYS
The biggest change between the Flip3 over its predecessors is its 4-inch cover screen (that’s the outside one). It’s four times as large, which makes it easier to view notifications and messages without having to open up the phone. You can tap the outside screen once to view the time or double-tap to wake it so you can get a glimpse at your notifications, the weather, and upcoming calendar events. You can even use it as a viewfinder for your selfies. What you can’t do (for now) is reply to text messages using just the outside display.
The Flip3’s 6.7-inch main AMOLED screen supports a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, which provides users with smooth, fluid-looking onscreen animations. The screen is brighter, too. I had no issues reading articles and watching videos in direct sunlight while on my patio. Colors look vibrant and punchy, black shades are deep, and even though the Flip’s 9:22 aspect ratio is taller than most smartphones, nothing ever seemed off.
If you’re wondering if the Z Flip3 still has the crease where the display folds in half, the answer is yes. But it didn’t bother me one bit. It disappears for me, and honestly, I find the notch at the top of iPhones to be more frustrating than the Z Flip3’s crease.
CAMERAS
I found the cameras to be plenty capable and was satisfied with over 90% of the shots I took. The Z Flip3 and Z Fold3 share the same 12MP main and ultrawide cameras, but the Flip3 lacks the 2X telephoto zoom lens. To compensate, it offers users a 10x digital zoom feature.
Images were more oversaturated than those taken by Google and Apple cameras I’ve tested, and technically the Flip’s cameras are the same as the ones on Samsung’s flip phone from last year. But you’re likely not going to buy the phone for its cameras — you’re buying it because it folds in half.
Selfies were bright and sharp, too, and as for video, the Z Flip3 records stable video at up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.
And check this out — thanks to its folding feature, the Z Flip3 can essentially stand in as its own tripod, which was easily my favorite part about capturing photos and videos with this device. The screen can be opened up and positioned at any angle between 30 and 150 degrees, so you can set the device on nearly any surface to capture photos, videos, or TikToks from unique angles completely hands-free.
PERFORMANCE
Under the hood, Samsung packed Qualcomm’s range-topping Snapdragon 888 chipset, a whopping 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. The device is as snappy as any other flagship phone — even the Z Fold3 that costs several hundred dollars more.
It’s fully compatible with 5G but lacks a microSD card slot for additional storage and doesn’t have a headphone jack, either. Fortunately, it packs new Dolby-powered stereo speakers that are much louder and improve the video-watching experience.
To be honest with you, its battery life is solid but not outstanding. Depending on your usage habits, I’d say you can average around 10 hours before needing to plug it in. On days when I was glued to my phone, I got 4 hours of screen time. Compared to the S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max, the battery is subpar, but I still wouldn’t go as far as saying the Z Flip3’s battery life is bad.
It’s worth a quick mention that the Flip3 does not come with a charging brick. It does support 15-watt fast charging, however. So, you can top off your phone rather quickly. It also supports reverse-wireless charging, meaning you can piggyback its battery to recharge your earbuds or smartwatch wirelessly on its backside.
USER EXPERIENCE
The Z Flip3 runs Android 11 and Samsung’s OneUI interface — giving its software a polished feeling. The phone features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for quick unlocking. Even though the Z Flip3 folds in half, it feels just like any other smartphone while you're using it (which is a good thing.)
There’s a new Flex Mode feature that mixes things up some, though. Basically, it splits UI elements between the two displays. It works best when you can set the phone on a table and open its screen like a laptop. The feature definitely comes in handy for Zoom calls and in the camera app, where the viewfinder is on the top display, and shutter controls are on the bottom. I discovered that the Z Flip3 is prone to sliding around on flat surfaces that aren’t level, which can easily be alleviated with the purchase of a case.
The most satisfying part about using the Z Flip3 is hanging up a call is as easy as closing it shut.
What I found most fascinating during my time testing the Z Flip3 was that it genuinely made me more mindful about how I was using my phone thanks to the additional step required to use it (opening it).
I no longer was mindlessly picking up my phone just because it was there, which we're all guilty of doing much too often. When I actually did intend to interact with it, as soon as I completed whatever I needed to do, I’d close the phone without getting sucked into other apps. I think we all should stare at screens a little less, and the Z Flip3 truly helps with that.
WRAP-UP
They say, “normal is boring,” but the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is a clear exception to the rule because it manages to feel normal while simultaneously being the least boring smartphone I’ve tested in years. The device is far from the rectangular glass smartphone you’re used to. I mean, come on, it folds in half!
If you’re tired of the same old smartphone and want to mix things up, you won’t have to make many sacrifices with the Z Flip3. It packs a powerful processor, solid battery life, a vivid display, and loud stereo speakers, all in a waterproof and completely pocketable design.
SHOP SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP3 5G
