When Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Flip 3, I used to be desperate to attempt it out. You can fold it in half. Flip it open along with your wrist one-handed. Use the skin display when it is closed and place it nearly wherever you wish to document movies and take pictures. With its cheaper price, seven colours and the assortment of daring instances that make it appear like a toy, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 may very well be the primary foldable telephone you may take into account shopping for. But if Samsung needs the telephone to be broadly adopted, it must ship on its promised enhancements and persuade those that they will rely upon the Z Flip 3 with out compromising their every day telephone routine.The Z Flip 3 begins at $1,000 (£949, AU$1,499) for 128GB and 8GB RAM. Scroll all the way down to the chart under for a full breakdown of costs and specs.
LikeFolds in halfWater-resistantAttractive designBigger cowl screenGreat important displayLower value
Don’t LikeShort battery lifeCover display nonetheless may do moreLong-term sturdiness unknownNo dust-resistance score
Based on my time with the telephone, I imagine Samsung largely acquired it proper. The physique, hinge and display are made with supplies that make them stronger and extra sturdy, and the telephone is rated for water resistance. A bigger cowl display, a greater important display and improved software program put the Z Flip 3 on par with most different $1,000 telephones. None of this implies the Z Flip 3 is with out its personal quirks or issues. Its battery life is brief, there is no mud resistance and its long-term sturdiness is unknown. The display nonetheless has a gentle crease throughout the center, and it did not hassle me. It’s not distracting. It does not cease me from utilizing the telephone in any means. When I work together with the center of the display I discover it. however not as a result of it feels weak or like a flaw. I’ve mates and colleagues who counsel that so long as there is a crease, nobody will ever purchase a folding telephone. Let me put it this fashion: The iPhone has a big black notch that eats into the show. That bothers me greater than the crease on the Z Flip 3.The Z Flip 3 is Samsung’s most “ready for prime time” foldable but. It appears prepared to sit down in additional folks’s fingers, pockets and luggage. The Z Flip 3 is way from excellent, nevertheless it’s a strong telephone if you happen to can address among the trade-offs. If you are able to embrace its “different” vibe, it is completely enjoyable to make use of.The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is obtainable for preorder and can launch on Friday Aug. 27. To tempt you extra, Samsung and carriers are providing quite a lot of trade-in offers that decrease the Z Flip 3’s value.Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 US costs
Phone
Storage
RAM
US value
Galaxy Z Flip 3
128GB
8GB
$1,000
Galaxy Z Flip 3
256GB
8GB
$1,050
Galaxy Z Fold 3
256GB
12GB
$1,800
Galaxy Z Fold 3
512GB
12GB
$1,900
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is Samsung’s greatest foldable telephone but.
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The Galaxy Z Flip 3 feels extra uniform, like an everyday telephoneThe physique and hinge are product of a fabric Samsung calls Armor Aluminum, which is bolstered with different metals and is much like utilizing rebar to strengthen concrete for building. That further tensile power makes it really feel extra like a single piece. When I used the unique Flip, and even the Motorola Razr, I used to be all the time conscious of the hinge, the display and the separate components that made up these telephones. With the Z Flip 3, that feeling is gone. It seems like an everyday telephone that simply occurs to fold in half.The display has a brand new protecting movie that feels clean. It’s nonetheless not like utilizing a telephone with a glass display, nevertheless it feels much like a glass display with a plastic protector on it, which technically it’s. The display nonetheless collects extra fingerprints than a detective on Law & Order: SVU, nevertheless, so I discover myself wiping it ceaselessly.
The Z Flip 3 has an attention-grabbing design and is available in 7 colours
See all pictures
Under these smudges, the display helps a 120Hz adaptive refresh charge, which is gorgeous. Indoors the display appears improbable. Outdoors on a vibrant sunny day, the display is simple to see and is brighter than the unique Z Flip and Z Flip 5G. Overall the primary display is correct on par with different telephones at this value.The Z Flip 3’s cowl display is a step in the suitable routeThe new cowl display is 4 occasions greater than the tiny pill-shaped one on the unique Flip. A single faucet of the display reveals the time. A double-tap brings up an animated animal to greet you. It’s an surprising and foolish delight. The animals do nothing however leap up and down, however they make me completely happy.Swipe to the left to disclose your notifications. It can show as much as 4 strains of textual content at a time, and you may scroll via notifications. Swipe as much as change the duvet display brightness or quantity. Swipe down to make use of Samsung Pay. Swipe proper to make use of cowl display widgets for the climate, alarms, a timer, music controls, your every day step rely and your schedule. It’s such an enchancment. I’m curious to see if Samsung will add different widgets, particularly from in style apps, sooner or later.On the left is the unique Z Flip with its tiny cowl display. On the suitable, is the Z Flip 3 which has a canopy display that’s 4 occasions bigger.
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The new cowl display is a few steps nearer to the wonderful Quick View show on the Motorola Razr 5G. But it is nonetheless restricted. For instance, I can view a complete notification however I have to open the Z Flip 3 to answer it. You can use Bixby Voice to answer to textual content messages if you happen to do not thoughts coping with Bixby.Overall it is a step in the suitable route, however I want there have been fundamental reply prompts for texts.The Z Flip 3 captures good pictures and moviesSamsung did not improve the digital camera {hardware}. It has extensive and ultrawide cameras on the duvet and a selfie digital camera housed inside a hole-punch in the primary show. These are the equal of the cameras you’d discover on a $700 telephone, which for most individuals will probably be greater than fantastic. The Z Flip 3 prices a grand as a result of it folds in half, not due to its cameras. But that distinctive construct makes taking a photograph or recording a video a novel and fantastic expertise. The foldable form and measurement imply you may put the Z Flip 3 nearly wherever to get a really one-of-a-kind shot. I put it on the dashboard of my rental automobile, behind a tiny statue of a mouse on the sidewalk and subsequent to a canine’s water dish to seize a time lapse. The Z Flip 3 is basically its personal tripod. I discovered myself eager to take extra pictures and movies simply due to its flexibility.As far as picture high quality, its pictures look good in vibrant lighting. In medium and low-light situations, equivalent to a dimly lit front room, pictures look tough. The telephone makes use of an extended shutter velocity to compensate for much less mild, so your topic can look gentle due to movement blur in the event that they’re transferring even just a bit.In good lighting, the Z Flip 3 yields good pictures. It does not damage to have a beautiful view.
Patrick Holland/CNET
It can seize a superb quantity of element and has an honest dynamic vary.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Skin tones look good with out an excessive amount of smoothing.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The ultrawide digital camera offers you a dramatic perspective however has much less dynamic vary and makes issues look a bit contrasty.
Patrick Holland/CNET
In lower-light conditions, like beneath an out of doors eating space within the early night, you may see the Z Flip 3 battle.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Samsung peppers in new digital camera modes from the Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra equivalent to Director’s View, which supplies you a stay preview from all three cameras, and Single Take, which captures a sequence of pictures and movies of your topic as decided by AI. You can use the duvet display to show a preview from the cameras on the outer case. This is nice for filming your self or providing your pals an opportunity to see what you are capturing. Interestingly, if you happen to do that when the telephone is closed, pictures have a extra sq. facet ratio, but when the telephone is open, you see the total picture.Night mode on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 delivers some first rate outcomes.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Night mode pictures look gentle in comparison with these from the Galaxy S21.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Night mode is spectacular for this digital camera setup. I’d say the outcomes fall firmly between the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy A52 5G. Videos are okay, however undergo from moire, also referred to as the “screen door effect,” and there’s noticeable picture noise besides in essentially the most perfect conditions. If you drop down in decision from 4K to 1080p you may make the most of Samsung’s Super Steady Shot, which works like a allure.Take a take a look at some movies I shot with the Z Flip 3 under.
The tiny Z Flip 3 has a tiny battery lifeOne characteristic that wasn’t upgraded was the Z Flip 3’s twin 3,300-mAh batteries. On medium-to-heavy use days, with the display on the 120Hz adaptive refresh charge and the brightness at 80%, I make it about 11 hours. And that is beginning with the battery totally charged. During my 10 days with the Z Flip 3, I averaged 3 hours of screen-on time a day. There was someday the place I used to be solely related to 5G and the screen-on time was 3 hours, 34 minutes.In comparability to different telephones, this is not nice. But it is one of many trade-offs with proudly owning a small telephone. The Z Flip 3 helps 15-watt fast-charging in addition to wi-fi and reverse-wireless charging. You have to have your individual 15-watt charger or wi-fi charging pad, as a result of the telephone does not include one. Also, 15-watt charging is not that quick.There have been a number of occasions the place the Z Flip 3 acquired noticeably heat. For instance, I recorded a video, uploaded it to Instagram over 5G after which listened to a playlist on Spotify over and the telephone was heat. Fortunately it by no means acquired sizzling, however I’m positive its petite measurement means it will typically act as a hand-warmer.
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The Z Flip 3 get Samsung flagship telephone specsThe Z Flip 3 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip and 8GB of RAM. It runs Android 11 and Samsung’s OneUI 3. In use, it was peppy and quick. Its benchmark scores have been on par with the Galaxy S21. See the Z Flip 3’s benchmark check scores under.3DMARK SLINGSHOT UNLIMITED
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
GEEKBENCH V.5.0 SINGLE-CORE
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
GEEKBENCH V.5.0 MULTICORE
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
You can use the Z Flip 3 like an everyday telephone, however if you happen to dive into settings, you may customise which apps make the most of Flex Mode, which is when the telephone is left half-open like a laptop computer. The excellent news is there are extra apps that make the most of this than on the earlier Flips. For instance, if I open Spotify, the primary window for the app is on the highest half and the playback controls on the underside.Some apps solely transfer the app window to the highest with out including any further performance to the underside half. And different apps, even Samsung’s personal Gallery app have not been totally optimized. When I edit pictures within the Gallery app, it strikes the photograph to the center of the display which is simply annoying. All of this takes slightly getting used to. I’d nonetheless prefer to see extra apps make the most of Flex Mode. Can you think about a sport the place you play it in Flex Mode with the controls on the underside and the sport on the highest?Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G specs vs. Motorola Razr 5G, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy S21
Galaxy Z Flip 3
Motorola Razr (2020)
Galaxy Z Flip
Galaxy S21
Display measurement, decision
Internal: 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED; 2,640×1,080 pixels. External: 1.9-inch AMOLED; 512×260 pixels
Internal: 6.2-inch, foldable pOLED; 2,142×876 pixels (21:9). External: 2.7-inch glass OLED, 800×600 pixels (4:3)
Internal: 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED; 2,636×1,080 pixels. External: 1.1-inch Super AMOLED; 300×112 pixels
6.2-inch Flat FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 2,400×1,080 pixels
Pixel density
425ppi (inner) / 303ppi (exterior)
373ppi (inner)
425ppi (inner) / 303ppi (exterior)
421 ppi
Dimensions (Inches)
Folded: 2.84×3.40×6.74 in. Hinge: ~0.66 in (sagging). Unfolded: 2.84×6.54×0.27 in
Folded: 2.86×3.61×0.63 in. Unfolded: 2.86×6.66×0.31 in
Folded: 2.99×3.44×0.61 ~ 0.68 in. Unfolded: 2.99×6.59×0.27 ~0.28 in
2.80×5.97×0.31 inches
Dimensions (Millimeters)
Folded: 72x86x17.1mm. Hinge: ~15.9mm (sagging). Unfolded: 72x166x6.9mm
Folded: 73x92x16mm. Unfolded: 73x169x7.9mm
Folded: 87x74x15.4-17.3mm. Unfolded: 167x74x6.9-7.2mm
71.2×151.7×7.9mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)
6.46 oz; 183g
6.77 oz; 192g
6.46 oz; 183g
6.03 oz; 171g
Mobile software program
Android 11
Android 10
Android 10
Android 11
Camera
12-megapixel (extensive), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
48-megapixel (exterior)
12-megapixel (extensive), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
64-megapixel (telephoto), 12-megapixel (extensive), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing digital camera
10-megapixel
20-megapixel (inside)
10-megapixel
10-megapixel
Video seize
4K (HDR 10+)
4K
4K (HDR 10+)
8K
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+
Snapdragon 888 64-bit octa-core processor 2.8GHz (max 2.4GHz+1.8GHz)
Storage
128GB/256GB
256GB
256GB
128GB/256GB
RAM
8GB
8GB
8GB
8GB
Expandable storage
No
No
None
None
Battery
3,300 mAh
2,800 mAh
3,300 mAh
4,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor
Side
Back
Side
In-screen
Connector
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C
Headphone jack
No
No
No
No
Special options
5G enabled, foldable show, wi-fi charging, reverse wi-fi charging, 15W quick charging
5G enabled, foldable show, time of flight sensor
5G enabled, Foldable show; wi-fi PowerShare; wi-fi charging; quick charging
IP68 score, 5G-enabled, 30x Space Zoom, 10W wi-fi charging, 120Hz show
Price off-contract (USD)
$1,000 (128GB), $1,050 (256GB)
$1,400
$1,450
$800 (128GB)
Price (GBP)
£949 (128GB), £999 (256GB)
£1,400
£1,229
£769
Price (AUD)
AU$2,499 (128GB), AU$2,649
converts to AU$1,920
Converts to AU$2,070
AU$1,249