Specification
Components
LCD screen
Camera and camcorder
Communication and connectors
System and functions
Is the screen fragile? Will the hinges last?
It is not delicate. From the beginning, Samsung claimed that the surface of the display is much stronger, and I can confirm that. The screen cannot be scratched with a fingernail and there are no scratches due to simple touch operation.
As for the hinges: they are solid, without any unnecessary play, they work smoothly and precisely. Will they withstand several years of opening several dozen times a day? I do not know. I have been using the Galaxy Z Flip3 for three weeks and during this time I have most certainly opened and closed it several hundred times and the hinges and glass look like new. I did not notice any scratches, even the smallest ones. The phone does not open by itself.
Foldable display - can you see where you fold it?
If we look at the display perpendicularly, we can not see the place where AMOLED bends. Here you definitely do not need to worry - the fold line does not bother you, although it may be slightly felt under the finger.
However, if we tilt the phone and look at the screen at an angle, the answer is yes, the place of the bend may be visible, especially during the day.
Extended 22: 9 aspect ratio - good for games and movies?
Basically, most games have no problem with such highly elongated proportions. The image is displayed correctly, and it can be an advantage for the user, because the left and right thumbs do not cover the center of the frame as much as on typical smartphones.
Videos, on the other hand, usually have an aspect ratio of 16: 9, so you can see black bars on the sides, a bit larger than on other phones. The video can be extended to the whole screen, but then the top and bottom parts are cut more.
Is the Galaxy Z Flip 3 suitable for watching movies? In terms of image quality, one hundred percent yes. Dynamic AMOLED 2X has very saturated colors, good contrast, HDR10 +, high brightness (up to 1200 cd / m2 at peak) and great detail (425 ppi). The image is just sharp and attractive, but the aspect ratio alone is not ideal for movies. You get used to it.
Does the foldable display have additional functions?
First, the foldable structure can be used as a stand. We just bend the phone in half, for example, and put it on something flat. In this way, you can make video calls, take night photos without a handle and a tripod, or use certain applications.
Second, After a partial bend, some applications go into flexible mode, where they display an image at the top and controls at the bottom. This is how, for example, Camera and YouTube work. There aren't many social and utility apps making use of it these days, but that may change in the future.
In the ankle, which is how it should be
The way you fold it is much more important than you might think. For example, the Fold model, presented at the same time, has the thickness of two smartphones when folded, and its height does not change. It just becomes narrower. It has a large external display for normal operation, but takes up a lot of space in your pocket.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Flip3, when folded, turns into a relatively small cube, which also has a double thickness, but it even fits in small pockets. Flip is much more handy and in my opinion nicer, although it is worth noting that it is quite a heavy phone (183 grams).
Foldable and waterproof
I didn't think I would see a foldable phone that would be waterproof anytime soon. After all, the foldable structure has movable hinges and a flexible display surface, to which it is difficult to fit the appropriate seals.
And yet! Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 3 is waterproof in accordance with the IP68 standard, so it will withstand not only splashes, floods and rain, but even complete immersion in water. As long as it is not sea water, because salt can cause corrosion of some elements.
In a word: Galaxy Z Flip3 is a good phone for any occasion - fast, nice, waterproof and with good cameras.
Display for notifications, photos and more
There is a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display on the outside of the housing. It is touch-sensitive, so it is used not only to show notifications and weather, but also to operate the music player, alarms, timer and other widgets.
It can also be used to display the preview from both rear cameras. All you need to do is press the power button twice in quick succession while the phone is folded up. Then a preview will appear on the small screen - you can switch the basic camera to ultra-wide angle with a finger gesture from top to bottom or from bottom to top.
Double-tapping the screen will count down briefly and take a photo after approximately two seconds. You can also save them by pressing the volume key. In turn, sliding your finger to the side will select the photo or filming mode.
The diagonal of less than 2 inches may not be large, but it is perfectly sufficient for previewing the frame. Thanks to this, we can do selfies and record 4K video with the rear camera, which has a better quality than the front camera.
Display always on - there is such an option
Although the phone has a special, small AMOLED display for notifications outside the housing, Samsung still allows you to turn on the Always On Display option. Thanks to it, you can display the clock, date, battery charge status and notification icons also on the large internal display.
Stylish and practical
The Galaxy Z Flip3 is the only foldable smartphone that I could use every day. It stands out and at the same time is very practical, fast and pleasant to use.
It will appeal to people who attach great importance to aesthetics, quality and a modern look, but it will also be appreciated by people focused on efficiency and quality of photos. It is stylish, but in a very positive way. It is made of good materials and when handling it you feel that its construction was not a coincidence.
The materials are of very good quality, and the only thing to keep in mind is the slippery casing. This phone weighs a little and the glass is very slippery, so the folded Flip3 can easily fall out of your hand (e.g. when taking it out of your pocket).
Fast fingerprint reader
In the case of this phone, the reader is located in the power and unlock button. That's good because it works very quickly and smoothly. Better than readers built into the display.
Two stereo speakers, no mini jack
The Galaxy Z Flip3 has one speaker above the display and another one below the bottom edge of the case. Their quality is just fine. They are not eminently good, nor eminently weak. They're quite loud, don't creak, and do a pretty good job in games and movies.
There is no mini jack headphone output. You'll need to use a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, but it's also not included in the box, so you'll need to purchase an additional purchase if needed, or use true TWS wireless headphones.
Dual SIM with eSIM
The Galaxy Z Flip3 has one slot for a nano SIM card, and the other number can be programmed as an eSIM (without a physical card). There is also NFC for contactless payments on board, very fast Wi-Fi 6 (ax), Bluetooth 5.1 LE and, of course, modern 5G cellular connectivity.
Battery life - the biggest disadvantage of this phone
There is no need to write much here, because the matter is simple - the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G works for 1 day on the battery. Often even less.
With very heavy use, continuous listening to music via Bluetooth while browsing the Internet over a cellular network, as well as the occasional use of navigation and camera, the 3300 mAh cell lasts from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. So 1 business day.
If we only use Wi-Fi (without 5G / LTE internet) and do not spend all our time on social media and websites, the Flip3 will actually last from morning to night, and maybe even until the next morning.
One full day is real working time, but more is hard to achieve.
Battery charging time
Flip3 has wireless charging as well as inductive reverse charging, i.e. it can charge your smartwatch or TWS headphones that support this function.
Charging power is poor. Wireless is max 10 W, wired 15 W, and reverse charging is only 4.5 W. Nowadays, when we live intensely and almost on the run, and the load on social media is high, these values are insufficient.
In addition, the Flip3 does not come with a charger, and not everyone has a Samsung charger at home. Some people are switching from other brands of phones and will charge Flip with the wrong "dice", which may change the time it takes to refuel (extend rather than shorten). For example, I have a dozen or so chargers, but they are all Apple, Huawei, or other, for example, from the Raspberry Pi. Unfortunately, even when using the 65W charger, the time was just as long.
Speed and efficiency
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a true flagship in terms of performance. It has a top-notch Snapdragon 888 processor, ultra-fast UFS 3.1 storage, 8GB of fast RAM, a 120Hz display, and a well-optimized Android 11 system, with a future update to Android 12. No need to worry about system, application, multimedia and gaming speed. . The Flip3 works smoothly in any situation and responds quickly to touch operation.
In Game Booster mode, you can force the display to be refreshed at one of three levels: 48, 60 or 120 Hz. Depending on whether you prefer lower energy consumption or better fluidity.
In our phone comparison you can check how Flip3 compares with other models.
6.4Benchmark results
GFXBench T-Rex116 fps GFXBench Manhattan104AnTuTu 86159017.0Phone parameters
Memory RAM 8192 MB Screen diagonal 6.7 inch / inch Resolution Vertical 2640 px Weight 183 g 3.9Battery
Battery - talks 1051 min Battery - Internet 619 min Battery - movies 689 min 9.5Subjective assessment
Video quality 5.5 Photo quality 5.6 Performance 5.6The performance is at the highest level, but I have to complain a bit about heating the case.
Useful functions
Widgets on a small screen - The external, small screen can be activated by double-tapping. Then it turns on the touch operation, and we can slide our finger to the right or left to switch widgets or add more. We have, for example, the weather, music player control, alarms, etc. There is also an option to change the background, which allows you to set the same theme on the phone and smartwatch (you can use, for example, your own photo).
One-handed mode - That is, the function of reducing the interface. In this phone it is sometimes useful because the display is quite high and it is not possible to reach with your thumb anywhere.
Panels at the edge - A retractable sidebar where you can display shortcuts to tools, applications, contacts, weather, etc. Very useful because it gives you quick access to functions that are important to a given user.
Converting media - In the Gallery you will find options to convert HEIF photos and recorded HDR10 + videos when sharing. Useful when uploading materials to a website that does not support these formats or we do not want potential recipients to have any problems with displaying them.
Continue working on other devices - The benefit of being logged into the Samsung ecosystem. We can finish e.g. browsing the web or writing notes on a different device than we started.
Does Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G have a good camera?
Flip 3 is a phone for over PLN 4,500 (not including any cash returns). So you have to treat it like a flagship smartphone. Does it actually offer flagship quality and photographic opportunities?
First, it's worth praising the video quality. Samsung offered 4K 60 fps recording front and rear, which is a very good move. The image is sharp and smooth, and the colors are saturated. There is no 8K option, which I consider an advantage, because the liquidity would certainly drop, and the movies would take up much more space in the phone's memory. Most people's 8K image gives little benefit, unless someone reduces it to 4K - then the noise may be reduced, but still the smoothness will be worse.
In a word: The video quality is at the flagship level, despite the lack of 8K resolution.
Watch in Watch in Watch inHow about the quality of the photos? Two sensors with a resolution of 12 Mpx are used on the back, so people who like large numbers may not be satisfied. However, in practice, the actual quality of the sensor and optics resolution are more important. Take a look at the photos below and judge for yourself.
rear, basic camera
rear camera, ultra wide angle
rear, basic camera
rear camera, ultra wide angle
The main rear camera (external) provides good detail, nice colors, the right level of contrast and a great automatic HDR effect. You can see that it is equipped with a good quality lens, without excessive optical defects on the edges of the frame.
rear, basic camera
rear camera, ultra wide angle
On the other hand, I cannot assess the ultra wide-angle camera that well. I am aware of the fact that it is darker and it falls less well in the evening and on cloudy days. Unfortunately, it is also clear that the lens is much worse than in the main camera. The lack of sharpness and other minor optical aberrations can be seen in various parts of the frame.
rear camera, basic, night mode
| rear camera, ultra wide angle, night mode
rear camera, basic, night mode
rear camera, ultra wide angle, night mode
On a bright day, you can turn a blind eye to it, especially when we publish such a reduced photo on social media. However, in the evening there is also a strong denoise and the ultra wide-angle camera becomes not very useful. Unlike the main one, which performs quite well in night mode.
rear camera, basic, night mode
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 does not have a macro lens, but it has a macro mode that allows you to take photos from a distance of a few centimeters from the object.
rear camera, basic, macro mode
rear camera, basic, macro mode
There is also no so-called optical zoom on board. Everyone has to answer for himself whether it is a defect. I do not miss this option, because I use it much less often than with the ultra wide angle lens.
The front camera is only 10 Mpx, but it takes some pretty good quality photos and has a nice portrait mode, with background effects. Glasses are not always "cut" well.
front camera - no upgrade
front camera - with enhancement
front camera - black and white background effect
Is it worth buying a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G? Opinion
If you are looking for an unusual smartphone, eye-catching and modern, and at the same time you expect it to be fully practical, the answer is: yes, it's worth it!
The Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is very fast, waterproof, and has a foldable display. It takes good photos, records great videos and can handle all applications and games perfectly. It has a lot of memory, modern wireless connectivity, dual SIM (including eSIM) and wireless battery charging.
It is convenient to use, and the foldable design can also be used as a stand, for example during video calls or photography. It also comes with a very useful external AMOLED display for notifications, music and camera preview.
You can write more about endurance after a year or two. However, Samsung has for sure used a much better, more durable protective coating on the screen in the Galaxy Z Flip3. The hinge also makes a solid impression and there will be no problems with it.
Each phone has some minor disadvantages. Here, the quality of the ultra-wide-angle camera could be better, the battery charging should be much faster, the 3.5mm mini headphone output would also be useful.
However, the only real disadvantage of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the small battery. It is enough for one, and often even less than one day of work. During the 3 weeks of the test, the phone withstood more than 10 times from morning to late afternoon, and then it had to be connected to charging (any, because the charger is not included).
In addition to a weak battery, it is a very good, fast, efficient and modern smartphone. Let me know in the comments what you think about him. Are your opinions similar to mine?
Review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G [128 GB]
Pros and consFinal grade
96% 4.8 / 5
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