It’s been two weeks since I first got my hands on Galaxy Flip 3, Samsung foldable smartphone, I’ve been using it daily and wanted to share some insight on whether or not if it’s worth considering as your next phone.
The cover display is great for checking notifications and dismissing them. I find myself not wanting to unfold it that often. Having the cover display just feels like having a smartwatch, for some of you this might be a great opportunity to reduce the screen time while keeping in mind that the frequent flips will reduce its life span.
The hinge
The main appeal of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 remains how pocketable the device is when folded up. Be prepared for other people to want to hold it and fold it. You won’t be able to stop yourself from just opening and closing the phone for no reason the first couple of days. Unfolding it with a single hand is still tough to do even after 2 weeks of use I still use two hands to unfold it and I find it unsafe to attempt to unfold it with one hand. I also noticed that if left folded overnight the first opening might feel a little hard but during the day after many flips the hinge will feel better.
The gap
One thing that needs to be fixed on this foldable at this point is the gap between the two halves of the device when they’re folded. Because of that gap, loose items in your pockets like coins are still a hazard for the foldable display. For reference, you can see that I can pull some money through it. I already had some pocket debris jamming through the hinge causing a cracking sound, luckily it didn’t do any cosmetic damage so I would advise you to check and clean your pockets before you would place this phone in.
Camera performance
The camera. Its not the greatest picture quality if you compare it to the latest iPhone but it’s not bad as well. I like the feature of taking selfies using the cover display, I sometimes use it to check around my mouth after eating a delicious meal, joking but you will be pretty impressed of the cover display details of the camera, you can see the smallest dark spot on your face. If you like taking pics at night and hyperlapses then you have an advantage, you dont need a tripod just set it flexed and you are all set.
The crease
The crease. You start ignoring the crease after a few days but you will immediately feel it when you scroll, and see it when you are reading a news article. I honestly feel like the crease is getting worse the more you do the folding thing.
Performance and Apps
Performance. The Z Flip 3 is powered by the Snapdragon 888, the same chip that powers the Galaxy S21 series, and performance is as good as you would expect. I have nothing to complain about its speed.
Apps. One complaint with Flex mode was that there just weren’t that many apps that took advantage of it. YouTube was an exception, letting you watch the video on the top screen and scroll through comments on the bottom one. However, Samsung has said that there will be a lot more supported apps in the near future. I find myself using the Drag & Split feature quite often, you can have a little multitasking activity like watching YouTube and scrolling through Instagram.
Battery life
Battery life on the Z Flip 3 is as average as you would expect from a high-end phone with a 3,300 mili-amp hour battery and features like a 120Hz screen. You’re looking at around 11-12 hours on a single charge with 3-4 hours of screen time on average. I find that switching from 120hz to 60hz and using the dark mode will improve the battery life. Carrying around a power bank when you’re stepping out of the house is a must. I’d say it’s best to charge the phone every chance you get, as battery life is not very dependable, especially if you’re stuck outside without a Wi-Fi connection and have to use mobile data all day long. I usually charge it on my wireless charger and I find it a little longer than usual to charge, compared with other smartphones I used. You can also charge it unfolded but it’s going to look a little silly and out of balance.
Now just a little cool feature that I might consider it is getting rid of my wallet since this device looks like one capable of holding few dollar bills.
Samsung has added so many upgrades to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 while substantially reducing the price tag which is really a big deal.
Then again, the Z Flip lineup is not about the specs. It’s about the cool factor, and its ability to fold into a compact little device while still offering enough high-end features.
