Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G review: Living the flip life confidently

A quick recap on the Galaxy Z Flip’s journey

If you’re only just hearing about the foldable smartphones launched at Samsung’s August 2021 Unpacked event, here’s the quick low down for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G.

Samsung’s first-ever Galaxy Z Flip device was first introduced in late-2019/ early-2020, coming after its first foldable display phone, the Galaxy Fold . The Galaxy Z Flip was Samsung’s first foray into a flip-style foldable display for a handset, whereas the Galaxy Fold adopted a book-style fold instead.

Both were flagship devices, but Samsung already had better-priced Galaxy S and Galaxy Note product lines for the mass market. Also, both Galaxy Z phones had nascent folding technologies, making them more visionary than mainstream. Folks who bought the first versions of either phone were willing to shell out premium dollars to try a handset form factor that was unique to modern smartphones .

The second Z Flip device was the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G , which saw some under-the-hood upgrades. Samsung gave it an up-to-date flagship processor and 5G connectivity. In addition, to help differentiate it from the nearly-identical Z Flip before it, the Z Flip 5G came in two colours that weren’t available before.

With two Z Flips before it, Samsung’s 2021 flip-style foldable phone is aptly called the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G. Sure, the Koreans skipped a number, but this year’s flip-style foldable flagship device is indeed the third generation of its line. Unlike the second Flip, Flip3 saw a much larger upgrade leap between generations too.

Another crucial point in Samsung’s smartphone history was the skipping of this year’s Galaxy Note series . With a worldwide chipset shortage not letting up anytime soon, Samsung told its shareholders that it would skip 2021’s Galaxy Note launch earlier this year.

This was also confirmed at our physical demo session with the new Galaxy Z phones - there will be no Galaxy Note device launched this year - although it doesn’t exclude the possibility of another Note in the future.

That, however, isn’t the only reason why the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G and Galaxy Z Fold3 5G went from being experimental devices to staple flagship handsets, which brings us to the next point.

What’s new to the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G?

A big part of the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G’s appeal is its launch price. At $1,398 and $1,498 (128GB and 256GB, respectively), these prices are a steep reduction from the initial Z Flip and Z Flip 5G that launched at $1,998 each. Moreover, with the Flip3’s starting prices coming down to that of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series , the Flip3 5G is much more accessible to mainstream flagship phone users.

Money aside, the flip-style phones also required some fine-tuning before they could see mass-market acceptance. According to Samsung, they improved the new devices after listening to customers' feedback on the first two Flips - two pet peeves being that the previous phones did not have IP-rated water and dust resistance.

But, the foldable cam mechanism on the old Flips and Fold2 can help keep some dirt and grime out of the joints, so Samsung improved the same folding mechanism with some water resistance, and the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is now IPX8 certified as well.

Another important upgrade was the 1.9-inch Cover Screen. Samsung rotated the dual cameras and flash by 90°, using the freed up space to park a secondary panel that is four times larger than the 1.1-inch sliver found on the older Flips.

The size increase also made it more practical (and easier) to use features like widgets, Quick Shot, Dual Preview, and improved notifications handling, which we’ll touch on in the review.

The 6.7-inch Main Screen is an FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display that remains largely unchanged. Still, the new protective film layer on the foldable panel is 80 per cent more durable to scratches than its predecessor.

The rear plates also now use Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and the phone itself is built using a new Armor Aluminium that Samsung claims is 10per cent tougher than the Galaxy Z phones before. All in all, these enhancements address the durability concerns of Samsung’s foldable phones.

Together with an up-to-date flagship-tier mobile processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 888), these upgrades sound like what consumers usually ask for - cheaper, better, faster.

However, will all these tweaks amount to a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G that customers will finally pay for? Let’s find out.

How practical is the new Flip3 5G?

With the changes largely focused on improving what works, lets take a closer look to assess these updates over its predecessors. At the core, the Z Flip3 5G is positioned as a fashionable, yet flagship-grade handset that’s meant to be cutting-edge in looks and daily practical use.

Cover Screen - now four times bigger than before

Z Flip3’s Cover Screen has massive upgrades. What used to be a thin bar next to the camera is now four times bigger: a 1.9-inch, 512 x 260 pixels resolution Super AMOLED display. 

The Cover Screen shows an AOD (always-on display) with no embellishments beyond current time, date, and battery levels when idling.

Double-tapping the display wakes the Cover Screen, presenting you with your wallpaper of choice while granting you access to more features: additional widgets, Samsung Pay, notification previews, and toggles for audio mute and screen brightness.

Protip: want a fuss-free way to get animated wallpapers for the Cover Screen? Use a GIF file. 

Using widgets and notifications

To use the additional widgets, double-tap to wake the Cover Screen, and swipe to the right for the six options - weather, schedule, music, Samsung Health, alarm clock, and timer. Samsung lets you re-arrange the order of the widgets, but they cannot be removed nor swapped out for other features. So we recommend arranging it based on your priorities. 

ALSO READ: Here are the pre-order details for Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, Z Flip3, Galaxy Watch4 series, and Galaxy Buds2

Of the six widgets, Samsung Health seemed to be the least practical. It shows the number of steps taken for the day, and there’s no option to check other health metrics until you unfold the device to access the full app.

If we assume that Cover Screen’s limitations are non-negotiable, a great way Samsung can improve the Health widget is to allow users to pin the health metric they’re most concerned.

The other widgets are great. The music widget works with Spotify and even confers basic controls to pause and skip tracks (we wish it could let us scroll through the playlist too). The alarm was surprisingly smart, showing the countdown to the next alarm, on top of the exact date and time.

Timer follows the default duration you’ve set in the main app, offering only a button to stop and start it. So, optimal usage would require you to set your preferred default countdown in the main app first - perhaps a HIIT interval for your daily workout or keeping your breaks on schedule.

Unlike the old models where the one-line notifications scrolled by, Galaxy Z Flip3’s new notifications panel shows you a static preview of two notifications, truncated to fit the display, while others are just a swipe away.

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To maximise your time and to further interact with it, you can tap on the notifications in Cover Screen to launch the full app for use over on the Main Screen while you unfold your phone.

Is the Cover Screen itself more practical than before? Definitely, but there is still room for improvement. For example, Samsung could’ve made that front half of the phone into a display, and the Korean firm need not go overboard in creating highly-specialised widgets.

Notifications won’t be as truncated, and the selfie preview would be bigger. Who knows? Perhaps we could see this update in the next Z Flip phone. Nonetheless, the current Cover Screen and its additional features are a welcomed improvement, seeing how it eclipses its predecessors in practical ways.

Paying your way on the Cover Screen

Accessing Samsung Pay from the Cover Screen is a little different but no less convenient now. To use Samsung Pay without unfolding the phone, simply wake the Cover Screen, swipe up, and verify your identity via the side-mounted sensor. If your card is transit-friendly (in our case, SimplyGo), you can actually use Samsung Pay to commute without having to unfold the phone.

The only step that felt clunky was fingerprint verification - you need to feel around for the side-mounted power button to verify your prints accurately. Also, only the default card shows up in Cover Screen, so if you want to pay through a different card, you’ll still need to unfold your Z Flip3.

Would we incorporate it into daily use? Absolutely. Contactless payments in conventional phones feel a little unwieldy via a standard 6-inch handset as you'll have to feel you way to activate the sweet spot for the payment to go through.

Samsung Pay on the Flip3 5G offers the better form factor, with the default card you’ve specified and added fingerprint verification. It’s an excellent use of the Z Flip3 5G’s unique build.

Handling the flip-style foldable

Samsung’s other enhancements for the Z Flip3 5G mainly addresses the physical longevity of the foldable form factor. But, these benefits wouldn’t be apparent until you’ve put the phone through an extensive daily grind.

If you’re using an older Flip or Fold, you’ll notice that the film layer on the primary screen leaves tiny scuffs when you’re too rough with it. The Flip3 5G’s new protection film layer, with its purportedly 80 per cent increased durability against scratches, is evidently more helpful in ensuring that your constant swipings and tappings leave no visible marks on it.

We have used the Flip 3 5G on a daily basis for the past one week before finishing this review, and the phone’s display has stayed relatively new - something we couldn’t say for the Fold2.

The phone’s IPX8 water resistance offers peace of mind when we’ve used it during a drizzle, and the device hasn’t given up despite the exposure to light rain.

However, do note that Samsung’s cautionary label mentioned 1.5m depth for 30 minutes in freshwater, and we are not confident it can withstand spilled coffee, sea water, or your pet’s drool very well. Also, the “X” in its IP rating means it’s not certified for dust resistance. 

If you’re hoping to unfold the phone with one hand, too bad. The previous Z Flip phones didn’t accommodate for that, and the new Z Flip3 5G uses the same CAM mechanism for its durability. 

In our attempts, it’s possible to wedge a thumb between the two halves to spread the device open, but it’s near impossible to pull off the same feat with finesse when you’re on the move. Let's not forget that if your other hand is occupied with bags or a wallet, unfolding the phone becomes more problematic.

We should also commend Samsung for making the main cameras as flushed as possible. On the older Flip, it had a raised housing rim for its front cameras, but on the Z Flip3 5G, it’s a neat, minimal pair of lenses, with no excessive bumps to ruin the phone’s aesthetics.

Wrinkles in the Z Flip3 5G

The Main Screen (6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display) sits at FHD+ (2,640 x 1,080 pixels resolution), with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate now offered on the device.

While the display’s name is a mouthful, it does mean that the Z Flip3 5G’s foldable Main Screen supports HDR10+ content, has 100 per cent DCI-P3 coverage for colours, and a bunch of features for a more comfortable eye exposure.

These perks are expected in any flagship handset, but we do wish it was at least 1440p so as to set itself apart from the competitors at its price point. 

Is the crease visible? Yes, mostly. The Z Flip3 5G’s crease disappears if you’re staring at it squarely, but its viewing angle tolerance is roughly five to 10 degrees before you can see the line across the main screen. In my experience, the crease doesn’t severely affect video-watching habits, seeing how I didn’t fidget about much when bingeing shows in bed.

But, it’s still not an ideal display experience since phones are meant to be used when on the go. That crease could also be annoying when your photography subject is in the centre of your framing. 

Samsung needs to find a way to improve the crease’s viewing angles to truly refine the Z Flip3 5G’s overall experience, but this doesn't look like it can be resolved anytime soon as screen technology is still evolving even if it has made it to mass-market flagship phone bracket.

The phone offers dual stereo speakers - one bottom-firing that's positioned next to the USB-C port, and the other being front-firing, and shared with the call speaker up top.

While its audio balance is better than mono or single-firing speakers, the two speakers are not on par with each other as the call speaker is noticeably softer in our experience.

We suspect it’s configured for portrait handheld mode, instead of the conventional landscape-oriented left-right stereo we’ve come to know and use. There's also Dolby Atmos support but it's oddly toggled off by default.

As a Samsung flagship handset, the Android 11 operating system has Samsung’s proprietary One UI interface. It’s congruent with One UI found on the Galaxy S21 series, but it still comes with minimal bloatware.

For instance, we understand having certain apps that take full advantage of Samsung’s robust mobile ecosystem (Samsung Health, Galaxy Wearable SmartThings, Samsung Pay), but the Samsung Global Goals app feels unnecessary - let alone having it pre-installed on the phone.

ALSO READ: Key specs of Samsung Galaxy S22 models leaked

Speaking of apps, the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G offers a hidden Taskbar shortcut that's useful if you wish to open two tabs in the two halves of the display respectively. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold3’s Taskbar, the one on Z Flip3 5G cannot be pinned, and it's understandable given the display viewing area available (see image above for more context).

Upgrades, usability and durability aside, the Z Flip3 5G offers one eSIM and one nano-SIM slot, has NFC, and various personal security features (PIN, face recognition, fingerprint, password), which you can set up to have more than one of them active simultaneously to give you an added layer of assurance.

 

On paper, the cameras used are identical to the previous Z Flip 5G’s. But, the Z Flip3 5G lenses next to the Cover Screen are protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass with DX this time that gives it added protection. While the Z Flip3 5G’s novel ways of taking photos and videos haven’t changed at a hardware level, Samsung did put in effort to make the form factor even more conducive for photo-taking.

Instead of relying on a reflective phone cover to give you an image preview, you can now use the bigger Cover Screen as a viewfinder, which wasn’t possible before (neat!).

Also, photos taken with the Cover Screen facing you are 1:1 aspect ratio, so you’re getting a proper selfie beyond the thin preview shown in Cover Screen. You'll also realise that the image quality is a lot better than using the dedicated selfie camera that's on the main screen when you compare the above shots with those below.

With the Main Screen retaining its original preview functionality, Samsung collectively refers to its double-sided viewfinder feature as Dual Preview. You can even preview beauty effects, filters, and AR Doodles before snapping a photo on either viewfinder. 

Below are more sample images, captioned with the phone's respective rear cameras used.

Sample images

 

Overall, we found the imaging quality acceptable for uploading to social media platforms. One improvement we hope to see for future models is the addition of a telephoto lens with optical or hybrid zoom, since its main camera’s digital zoom beyond 2x can’t quite compete against its very own Galaxy S21 zoom features.

Benchmark Performance

Driving the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G isn't a Samsung Exynos processor but a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 mobile chipset. We’ve already had time with several other flagship phones using this processor. So we've compared them against the Galaxy Z Flip3 in addition to Samsung's very own Galaxy S21+ powered by their Exynos chipset, which delivers similar performance to SD888 powered devices.

We’ve also included the first Z Flip for comparison. As an older device, it packs a flagship 2019 processor by Qualcomm. Finally, the Vivo X60 Pro is also included in our comparisons because it sits in the same price range as the Samsung foldable (or, shall we say...flippable? See what we did there?). 

Note: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G models pack 8GB RAM, with two storage variants offered: 128GB and 256GB (UFS 3.1). The variant used in our review comes with 128GB.

JetStream 2.0

JetStream 2 is a combination of a variety of JavaScript and Web Assembly benchmarks, including benchmarks that came before, like SunSpider and Octane.

It primarily tests for a system’s and browser’s ability in delivering a good web experience. It runs a total of 64 subtests, each weighted equally, with multiple iterations, and takes the geometric mean to compute the overall score.

AnTuTu 

Note: As of March 9, 2020, all AnTuTu benchmarks were removed from the Google Play Store. This move likely arose from Google's attempts to relieve the Play Store of apps that violate their policies.

AnTuTu is working with Google to restore their app listing. For this review, we used the APK file that was available on AnTuTu's website.

AnTuTu is an all-in-one benchmark that tests CPU, GPU, memory, and storage. The CPU benchmark evaluates both integer and floating-point performance, and the GPU tests assess 2D and 3D performance, the memory test measures available memory bandwidth and latency, and the storage tests gauge the read and write speeds of a device's flash memory.

Geekbench 5

Geekbench CPU is a cross-platform processor benchmark that tests both single-core and multi-core performance with workloads that simulate real-world usage. Geekbench 5 scores are calibrated against a baseline score of 1000, which is the score of an Intel Core i3-8100.

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme

3DMark Sling Shot is an advanced 3D graphics benchmark that tests the full range of OpenGL ES 3.1 and ES 3.0 API features, including multiple render targets, instanced rendering, uniform buffers and transform feedback.

The test also includes impressive volumetric lighting and post-processing effects. The test's Unlimited mode ignores screen resolutions.

We’re also collecting scores with 3DMark’s new benchmark, Wild Life. Below are the test’s Unlimited Mode scores. The older Samsung Galaxy Z Flip predates this benchmark, and neither does 3DMark or HWZ have scores for that device.

Battery Life

Our standard battery test for mobile phones has the following parameters:

• Looping a 720p video with screen brightness and volume at 100 per cent
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
• Constant data streaming through email and Twitter

The Galaxy Z Flip3 5G has a 3,300mAh battery capacity, and it clocked in just under 10 hours of continuous loops.

While it’s improved from the first Z Flip, the battery is relatively short-lived next to other 2021 flagship devices. The phone consumes a significant part of its full charge under heavy, day-to-day use, but it shouldn’t be an issue if you remember to charge it once a day.

The phone also supports 15W fast-charging and 10W wireless charging, just like its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note counterparts. Our third-party 40W fast-charging wall plug saw the foldable taking 57 minutes to reach 50 per cent charge, and 124 minutes to go from 0% to 100 per cent.

Why did we use an unrelated charger? That’s because Samsung didn’t include a charging adapter in the box, much like how Galaxy S21 series devices also didn’t have one.  

Conclusion: Down the foldable rabbit hole you go

If you’ve been holding out on getting Samsung’s flagship flip-style foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G makes an amazing entry point into these handsets. It’s also a viable (maybe even seductive) candidate for users who want a new experience if they’re moving on from an older flagship smartphone.

There's no denying there's a certain cool factor in having the most modern flip phone on the planet with an all-screen front greeting you when it's fully open and having it clammed away with a solid clasp (just like our experience with the first Galaxy Z Flip).

In most aspects, the Flip3 5G is worthy of its mainstream flagship status, with added creativity and functionality from its foldable main display. Our daily use also uncovered how Samsung made good on some of its durability promises, which we have mentioned in previous pages.

At $1,398 and $1,498 respectively for the 128GB and 256GB models, these are familiar starting prices, making it competitive against many other flagship rivals, including the firm’s very own Galaxy S21 series handsets. Gone are the hefty starting prices, and that makes foldable (or in this case, flippable) phones a serious consideration if it suits your fashion, style and status.

Beyond checking the boxes with an improved Cover Screen, better main screen durability, IP-rated water resistance, and featuring a flagship processor, the foldable form factor confers plenty of benefits if you’re willing to learn and try.

Is a flip phone suitable for you?

Does a flip-style foldable really offer any practical advantage over conventional, single-slate phones? In our experience, it's a soft yes, but that really depends on how creative you are, the type of apps or features you use most, and whether you value having the main screen folded away when the device jostles about in your pocket or bag.

Beyond practicality, the foldable display aspect gives a Z Flip3 5G a sense of finality unlike other conventional handsets - you know you are really done with a task (e-mailing, messaging, calling, etc.) when you close the shell and tuck the device away.

That said, the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G isn't without flaws - even if it's due to, we suspect, limitations that's not by Samsung's design.

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The crease that splits and runs along the main screen will always be visible unless Samsung develops an improved and more durable foldable display panel or find another "folding" method (or even a rollable screen) that makes the crease less obvious, if not eradicate it. Then there's the issue of battery life, which we reckon can be tolerated. 

Given the existing battery technology available today, Samsung perhaps can be commendable for still cramming in a 3,300mAh battery within a small footprint and deliver more battery life than its predecessor. Remember the Galaxy Note 7's exploding battery scandal that blighted Samsung? Well, something's got to give - and safety should be every smartphone's manufacturer's paramount priority.

But if we want to be utterly sore, perhaps our biggest pain point (and surely and easily fixed by Samsung for future products) is the exclusion of a capable fast-charging adapter.

Come on, Samsung. Stop doing an Apple. While at that, it's also time to crank up the fast charging and wireless charging capability (as safely as possible) as the current rates feel a little long in the tooth compared to phone options coming out of China.

Otherwise, we think that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is a commendable evolution of the two phones before it - it's a lot more accessible in pricing, has better durability and remains quite easily one of the most stylish phones around.

Want to know how to get your hands on one? Don’t forget to look at our pricing and availability details here to see what other promos Samsung offers with its cool foldable phone.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.