Samsung presented two smartphones with a folding screen in August, of which this Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is the most accessible smartphone. You can read whether the foldable smartphone is ready for the masses in this Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 review.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
MSRP From € 1.049,-
Colors Black, Cream, Green, Purple, White, Gray, Pink
OS Android 11 (OneUI)
Screen 6.7 inch amoled (2640 x 1080, 120hz) and 1.9 inch amoled cover display
Processor 2.8GHz octa-core (Snapdragon 888)
RAM 8GB
Storage 128GB (non-expandable)
Battery 3,300mAh
Rear cameras 12 megapixel dual cam
Front camera 10 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, Qi
Format 8.6 x 7.2 x 1.7 cm (closed) and 16.6 x 7.2 x 0.7
Weight 183 grams
Other E-sim, IPX 8, no adapter
Website www.samsung.com/nl
6.5 Score 65 
- Pros
- Compact smartphone
- Water-resistant build quality
- Innovative
- Handy cover display
- Negatives
- Battery too small
- Price
- Fold line in screen
Samsung is a pioneer when it comes to smartphones with a foldable screen. Despite the fact that Samsung has been offering foldable smartphones for years, unfortunately these have not yet really caught on. Possibly because of teething problems in the technology and the enormously high purchase price. With the introduction of the Galaxy Z Fold3 and this Galaxy Z Flip3, Samsung wants to demonstrate that the devices are technically ready for the market and are more accessible, by lowering the suggested retail price compared to previous generations.
The Galaxy Z Fold3 is a smartphone with a full smartphone screen on the front and a second folding screen on the inside that is accessible as soon as you open it horizontally. This Flip3 flips open the other way around, like an old-fashioned clamshell phone, to unfold an elongated folding screen. This screen is somewhat smaller than the Fold3, which really opens up a tablet size. On the outside is a small second screen, mainly to see at a glance what the weather forecast is, the time or the notifications.
Sturdy build and fold
Samsung proves that the Galaxy Z Flip3 is ready for the general public, by improving the build quality. Thanks to the metal frame, the smartphone feels sturdy and the hinge is also well integrated into the housing, so you don’t have to worry about dust and sand. The device has even been made water resistant, which is quite an achievement. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip3 is too heavy to open and close with one hand, as it used to be possible with the plastic clamshell phones from Motorola, among others.
When you open the Galaxy Z Flip3, you get an elongated screen for you to choose. The screen has a somewhat crazy aspect ratio. Great to read on the go. But it is a bit difficult to reach the top with one hand. A crease is also visible and palpable in the screen, which is insurmountable for the time being with this folding screen technology. Beautiful is different.
The fingerprint scanner is not integrated behind the screen with the foldable Samsung smartphones, but in the on-off button on the side of the device. That is nice, since this physical fingerprint scanner works faster and more accurately. The front camera is also incorporated in a small screen notch in the top of the large screen. Samsung makes no effort to camouflage it with a few upper screen pixels as with the Galaxy Fold3.
When folded, the smartphone is particularly compact and a real solution for those who do not want to be on the road continuously with a colossus of a smartphone. The device fits in the smallest trouser pockets.
Screen
The folding AMOLED screens can’t quite produce the image quality that a regular glass screen, such as in the Galaxy S21. In terms of clarity, you sacrifice something, but the plastic with fold also weighs in. Still, the image quality is good, especially the color reproduction. In terms of sharpness, you are also good with a Full HD resolution.
In addition, the screen has a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz. That improves the experience. But I wonder if this is such a suitable screen.
battery problems
Thanks to its size and, in particular, the refresh rate, the screen is a power hog. And the capacity of the battery is remarkably low. For comparison: most smartphones have a battery capacity of more than 4,000 mAh, with devices around 5,000 mAh are no longer unusual. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 has a battery capacity of only 3,300 mAh. This means that the battery life is simply disappointing. Depending on your usage of course, but you have to watch your usage to get through the day. Battery wear also plays a major role in small batteries. The battery of the Flip3 will wear out quickly and therefore need to be replaced. That is worrying and not sustainable, not at all for a smartphone with a starting price of 1049 euros.
Samsung probably had to make this concession to not make the smartphone too thick when folded. Understandable. But the story around the Flip3 no longer rhymes with this. In this price range, you should be able to expect that your smartphone will last all day on a charged battery and that you will not be left with a battery after a year that needs to be replaced in a device that can hardly be repaired. Functions such as (wireless) fast charging do not alleviate this pain.
Speed with OneUI
Samsung has fine-tuned its software for use with a foldable screen. The Android base has been thoroughly overhauled with Samsung’s OneUI. It is nice that the software is also adjusted in such a way that you can also use the device half-folded out. For example, you can put it down when recording a video or watch a video on YouTube when you place it half-open.
There are also downsides, such as the huge amount of pre-installed apps from Samsung, Microsoft, Facebook and the unnecessary McAfee virus scanner (hidden in the settings). This leaves you with only 100GB of the available 128GB storage space. Samsung has removed the option to insert a memory card. Those are three drawbacks that lead to a joint downside: the available storage is scant, unless you pay more for the 256GB version. In addition to the lack of a memory card slot, you also have to accept other unnecessary disadvantages: there is no adapter and audio port.
Samsung has increased the update support, giving many other manufacturers the check. You can expect three version updates and at least four years of security updates. This is going in the right direction, but there is still room for improvement.
There is a chance that future version updates will slow down the device. Despite the fact that the Snapdragon 888 chipset offers enough computing power (and 5G support) to be ready for the future, the 8GB of RAM is not left either. During testing, however, it was enough to keep the smartphone running smoothly, even with multiple apps open.
Samsung has fine-tuned its software for use with a foldable screen.
Camera
A foldable smartphone from Samsung has excellent cameras, but if you really want to lead the way with camera performance, you’ll end up with the Galaxy S21 or iPhone 12 lines. The Galaxy Z Flip3 has two camera lenses, which are placed next to the small extra screen on the outside of the device: a regular camera and a wide-angle camera. No third zoom lens, as it is placed on many other Samsung smartphones.
When you take a photo or video, the regular camera is able to capture the image the best. Especially in more difficult lighting conditions, such as low light or backlit conditions. At the wide angle, I noticed some image distortion and the camera visibly has more trouble with difficult light.
The regular camera (left) and the wide-angle lens (right).
Alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
If you are really in the market for a foldable smartphone, then Samsung is your only real option. Alternatives from Huawei, Motorola or Royole are not mature enough yet. It is useful to know that the Galaxy Z Fold3 is a smartphone that you fold out into a tablet and the Galaxy Z Flip3 is a small box that you fold out into a smartphone. However, it pays to save up for the Fold version, because where I wrote in my earlier review that the Fold3 is almost ready for the general public, this is less the case with the Flip3. This is mainly due to the small battery. The screen technology also has its drawbacks, with the fold line that you see and feel.
If you are in the market for a smartphone in this price range, you are still better off with a Galaxy S21 or iPhone 12. Both devices are relatively small in size in their regular version – and are therefore slightly more pocket-friendly. Although the Flip3 is still a lot smaller when folded.
Conclusion: Buy Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 takes folding screen technology one step further, making it almost ready for the masses. However, it is not yet. The battery is simply too small and the price is still too high. The technology also has pain points, such as the visible and palpable folding line. Nevertheless, the Galaxy Z Flip3 is a beautiful smartphone, with a solid construction, good software and of course a very cool folding screen.
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