Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 review – offers a big screen but can fold down to a compact size

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• VERDICT

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a fun and satisfying phone to use and delivers the best of both worlds – a large screen when you need it but something that’s compact to carry around.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a fun new device that can give you a big screen when you need it but then gives you the satisfaction of snapping it shut when you’re done.

The Z Flip 3 is in the same foldable family as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 but it couldn’t be more different.

The Flip 3 is aimed for totally different customer that would be attracted to the Z Fold 3.

While the Z Fold 3 is for the high-end multitasking user, the Flip 3 is built for the more casual smartphone user who has a sense of style and appreciates good design.

It’s also a lower maintenance phone than the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

When it’s unfolded the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a 6.7-inch 120Hz display and looks and feels like a normal smartphone.

That 120Hz refresh rate really makes a difference when viewing videos and playing games. It provides a much smoother experience.

The screen has a 22:9 aspect ratio so it’s long and narrow and easy to grip in one hand.

But what you can’t do with regular smartphones is fold them in half when you want to hang up your or when you want to put it back in your pocket or your bag.

The phone is made from stronger Armour aluminium so it’s a lot more rugged than last year’s model and it’s also water resistant so any doubts about the device being too fragile have been removed.

Of course, the biggest feature for a new customer to get used to is the folding screen.

It can provide a large screen when you need it, but you can literally fold it in half when you want to put it away on your pocket or your bag.

We enjoyed answering our calls by opening the device and also ending the calls by snapping the device shut like the old days.

There is a visible crease that your finger will roll over when you’re navigating your apps, websites and content but you don’t notice it when there’s something on the screen.

There is a fingerprint reader on the right edge of the device which is around the same place you’d place your thumb anyway so it’s fast to unlock.

No way to put an inscreen fingerprint reader on this type of foldable display.

The hinge allows the Flip 3 to stay open at any angle.

This brings a feature called Flex Mode into play which makes it easier than ever to take your selfies.

You simply position the Flip 3 in the open position and rest it on a surface.

In this mode the camera adapts and places your viewfinder in the top half of the device to make it easy to frame yourself.

Then all you need to do is hold up an open palm to activate the shutter countdown timer.

There are two 12-megapixel cameras on the rear panel – an ultra-wide and wide angle as well as a 10-megapixel front facing camera inside the foldable display.

While these cameras offer impressive quality they are not in the same class as other flagship devices so if photography is particularly important and you’re after better quality then another device might suit you a little better.

Another big change with the Z Flip 3 is the larger front display which allows you to view things like the time, notifications, your media and even take a selfie.

There is so much more you can do while the phone is still closed including acting on notifications and playing and pausing your music and other content.

To take a photo while the Z Flip 3 is closed you simply double tap the side button and the front screen turns into your viewfinder.

You can swipe across to change from photo to video and back again and then another double tap will take the photo or start shooting your video.

On the battery side, the Galaxy Z flip 3 performs really well.

The 3300mAh battery lasted usually a day and a half before it needed recharging.

It does have 15W Fast Charging and 10W fast wireless charging as well when it’s time to power up again.

It is a dual SIM device so it can handle two SIM cards if needed. Unfortunately, there is no expandable memory.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is an excellent entry for a customer who wants to enter the foldable smartphone market.

It is priced from $1,499 and is available now.

VERDICT

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a fun and satisfying phone to use and delivers the best of both worlds – a large screen when you need it but something that’s compact to carry around.