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There is something so satisfying about shutting down a flip phone. And while I’m hesitant to shut down Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip3 as hard as the LG phone I had in 2002, it still managed to scratch that itch.
Available for pre-order now and on sale August 29 for $ 999, the Z Flip3 is the second generation in the Z Flip line after the original Z Flip and Z Flip 5G. Like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold3, which I’ve reviewed before, the Z Flip3 gets much-needed improvements over its predecessors, including a more durable display cover and, thankfully, water resistance.
And unlike the Z Fold3, which starts at $ 1,799, the Z Flip3, which costs the same as Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro (AAPL), is intended to appeal to mainstream consumers. And while there are still some issues to be addressed, the Z Flip3 is the first foldable phone I would consider buying just because it feels more like a phone than a talking point.
What it looks like to use the Z Flip3
The front of the Z Flip3 has a whole new look and feel, with a larger, albeit relatively small, 1.9-inch screen. The panel isn’t something you’ll use to watch YouTube videos or browse websites. Instead, it will let you check notifications and look up the weather or upcoming calendar appointments.
You can add additional widgets that let you browse different app updates and check the time. Some apps, like Gmail, let you open messages, while others, like the weather app, require you to open your phone to view additional information.
You can also open the Camera app on the front screen to capture both selfies and videos using one of the Z Flip3’s wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses.
Open the Z Flip3 and you’ll be greeted by its 6.7-inch AMOLED display. Like the Z Fold3, the Z Flip3’s screen gets a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling, but it doesn’t have the same under-screen selfie camera as the Fold3.
The display gets the same new cover as the Z Fold3, however, which is 80% more durable, making it more scratch resistant – although the company notes that you can still hollow out the panel if you push it too hard. For power users, the Z Flip3 can run two apps simultaneously, either one on top of the other or next to each other, depending on how you hold the phone.
Photo shooting, durability and power
The Z Flip3 has wide-angle and ultra-wide angle cameras that capture crisp photos. The low-light photos were impressive, although they were also more grainy than those taken with an iPhone 12 Pro.
That said, I found that the selfie camera above the Z Flip3’s main screen took clearer photos than the ones taken with the Z Fold3’s under-screen camera.
One of the biggest sticking points with the original Z Flip, and the Z Fold for that matter, was that it wasn’t water resistant. This is unforgivable for a smartphone in 2021, and fortunately not the case with the latest Z Flip. That’s right, you can drop the Z Flip3 in up to 5 feet of water for 30 minutes before it shuts it down, as long as it’s folded up.
Unfortunately, the Z Flip3 is not dustproof. This means you won’t want to take this bad boy to the beach because the sand will ruin it. You might want to avoid using it when you bite into a Nature Valley bar. The crumbs of these things are happening everywhere.
When it comes to performance, the Z Flip3 gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, 5G connectivity, 8GB of RAM, and your choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage. In short, this is a powerful smartphone that will handle whatever you throw at it.
When it comes to battery life, you should use at least a day of using the Z Flip3.
Should you get it?
Foldable phones always have their imperfections, whether it’s the quirkiness of the way apps display on their screens, or issues like the lack of dust resistance on the Z Flip3.
That said, it feels like the first normal foldable phone and less of a quirk. This is perhaps the biggest compliment Samsung can hope for when they sell something that consumers will actually want to use every day.
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone and ready to dive in, the Z Flip3 is the foldable for you. If you are still nervous about the dust issue, then wait until Samsung fixes it.
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Do you have any advice? Email Daniel Howley at [email protected] via encrypted mail to [email protected], and follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
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