GadgetByte Nepal

At a time when smartphones are getting considerably larger year after year, Samsung is leading the battle to combat this with its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip smartphone lineups. I’ve used the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 for a couple of days and here, I’ll be sharing my initial impressions of the phone.

While being a foldable phone, the Flip 3 is not just for power users—it’s for regular users as well. It is Samsung’s third generation of Flip device, which was unveiled recently alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Buds 2, and the Watch 4 series.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Specifications:

• Body: 183 gm, IPX8 water-resistant
• Display: 
  • Main: 6.7-inches Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, 120Hz, UTG
  • Cover: 1.9-inches Super AMOLED, 60Hz, Gorilla Glass DX
• Resolution:
  • Main: FHD+ (2640 x 1080 pixels), 425 PPI
  • Cover: 512 x 260 pixels, 302 PPI
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm Mobile Platform)
• CPU: Octa-core (1x Cortex-X1 @ 2.84GHz, 3x Cortex-A78 @ 2.42GHz, 4x Cortex-A55 @ 1.80GHz)
• GPU: Adreno 660
• Memory: 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 (fixed)
• Software & UI: Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1
• Rear Camera: Dual (with LED flash);
  – 12MP, f/1.8 primary, DPAF, OIS
  – 12MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide, 123º FOV
• Front Camera: 10MP f/2.4 aperture, 80º FOV
• Fingerprint sensor: Side-mounted (capacitive)
• Connectivity: Nano-SIM, eSIM, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual-band (2.4 & 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, GPS / AGPS / Galileo / Glonass / Beidou, USB Type-C
• Battery: 3300mAh battery with 15W fast charging, 10W wireless & 4.5W reverse-wireless charging
• Colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender
  • Exclusive color: Gray, White, Pink

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Impressions:

Design

• Glass front/back, Armor Aluminium frame
• IPX8 water resistance, PET screen protector

Personally, I love the idea of folding a smartphone to shrink it to half its size. And, this is exactly what the Flip 3 achieves with its folding mechanism. Compared to last year’s Z Flip or Z Flip 5G, this one comes with a few important upgrades.

First and foremost, Samsung has included a tougher glass up front, protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass DX for the cover display—while the exterior front cover gets the Victus treatment.

You might be aware that the first-generation Z Flip was widely chastised for using soft glass. Addressing this, the Flip 3 comes with a PET screen protector on top, rather than TPU, which is 36% tougher according to the official claim. At just 183 grams, the phone feels adequately lightweight as well.

We know that Samsung positions its Z Fold lineup as a luxury, business-class device, while the Flip series falls more into the lifestyle category targeted towards the younger generation. As a result, the Flip 3 enjoys fun color options such as Lavender, Green, Cream, and Phantom Black.

Yup, the Flip is water-resistant

Moving on, the company has also addressed some major durability issues with the Flip 3. The phone is IPX8 water-resistant, which means it can endure being submerged in water for half an hour at up to 1.5 meters.

Unfortunately, the ‘X’ in the rating signifies that it does not have IP certification for dust protection. Even though, the sweeper technology inside the hinge should prevent small dust particles from getting in.

Likewise, Galaxy Z Flip 3’s back panel is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, while the frames, as well as the hinge, are made of Armor aluminum. Samsung says that this is 10% tougher than regular frames on the Z Flip and Z Flip 5G.

According to the firm, the hinge has been tested 200,000 times to assure long-term reliability—just like on its predecessors. Aside from that, the phone has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometrics.

Display

• Main: 6.7-inches FHD+ 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• Cover: 1.9-inches 60Hz Super AMOLED AMOLED

Anyways, the phone unfolds to a tall 6.7-inches Dynamic AMOLED screen with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It means, it can swing between 60-120Hz depending on the type of content on the display. As expected from a Samsung panel, well, it is top-notch and I’m fond of its responsiveness too.

It’s just that watching YouTube videos with those black bars around the corners feels odd. Either that, or you’ll have to crop the videos a lot to fill up the screen completely. So I’m still getting accustomed to this wide aspect ratio.

Plus, you will also notice quite a bit of bezel on all four sides of the display. But since that’s necessary to protect the screen, that’s okay I guess. In addition, while scrolling through the display, I was often weirded out when my fingers clashed with the hinge in the middle. Still, after using the phone for a while, it gets less noticeable.

Similarly, the cover display has had a major makeover, with this year’s Flip 3 featuring a much bigger 1.9-inch 60Hz display—contrary to the puny 1.1-inch panel on its past two iterations. Thanks to the larger screen real estate, the display actually delivers a series of practical functionalities.

For instance, viewing the notifications is much more pleasant here, and being able to click selfies without having to flip the screen is what I would call, convenient. Samsung even lets you customize the cover display with a widget of your choice. Further, scrolling down the screen triggers quick toggle options like screen brightness and volume adjustments.

Cameras

• (12MP primary sensor, 12MP ultra-wide lens)
• 10MP punch-hole selfie camera (main screen)

Cameras

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Moving on to the cameras, Samsung has borrowed the same 12MP primary and 12MP ultrawide lens from the first-gen Z Flip. Upfront, there’s also the identical 10MP selfie shooter.

Images

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Now, I haven’t had a chance to take it for a thorough spin, but I did click a few shots from the rear and front. And, Samsung’s slightly saturated color optimization can be witnessed here. The pictures do look pleasing though.

But again, this is just my initial impression of these cameras, and I will go into this in greater detail in my complete review, so look out for that.

Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G SoC (5nm)
• 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage

Performance-wise, you get Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 chipset under the hood. Actually, this is just the second time I am using the Snapdragon variant of a Samsung flagship, following the Z Fold 2 last year, so I’m really pumped about it.

On my initial impressions, its performance has been stellar. In my brief time with the phone, I haven’t faced a single hiccup in animations or transitions. Additionally, because the Flip 3 has a tall aspect ratio, gaming has also been a good experience so far—at least in terms of how they look.

The phone, by the way, comes in two memory variants—8GB of RAM and either 128 or 256GB of internal storage. The base variant or the 8/128GB pair is priced at USD 999.99 and the 8/256 costs USD 1049.99. To note, this is the first time a foldable, or rather I should say a flippable is available below the USD 1,000 price tag.

Software

• Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top

Moving on, I also like the fact that Samsung has well-optimized One UI here. And that is seen in features like app continuity. For instance, if I have the selfie camera open on the cover screen, flipping the phone open effortlessly continues with the same app. This applies to other apps like Phone Dialer and Music Player as well.

Now, because of the large layout of this screen, the top edge isn’t easily reachable with one hand. Yet, One UI does make it a bit easier while using the phone. That being said, the coolest feature of the Z Flip 3 has to be the Flex Mode, which allows it to stand on its own at a 90-degree angle.

As a result, I can simply keep it at my bedside and let it showcase it like a clock. On the other hand, attending online meetings is quite fun now, as I don’t have to look for something to hold the phone stable on a surface or use my hand to do so. It can even act as a tripod for shooting videos and selfies.

I believe that the possibilities of this feature will pique the interest of content creators in particular. Right now, there are only a handful of apps that fully support Flex mode, although you do have the option to go to the settings and enable it for other desired apps as well.

Battery & Audio

• 3300mAh battery with 15W fast charging
• 10W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless charging
• Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos audio

On the battery front, Samsung has fitted a dual-cell battery here. The top half of the phone encompasses a comparatively smaller 930mAh cell, while the bottom half houses a bigger 2370mAh cell. This totals to a 3300mAh battery, which is the same capacity as on last year’s Z Flip.

To reemphasize, I’ve only had this phone for a day, so I can’t really comment on its battery endurance just yet. But, considering how this relatively smaller battery has to fuel a huge 120Hz screen as well as the cover display, I’m assuming its screen-on time will be just average.

Then again, that’s a direct trade-off to maintain Z Flip 3’s form factor itself, since including a bigger battery would compromise the phone’s slim design. In terms of charging, you get 15-watt wired charging support—the same as on previous Z Flip phones.

I had hoped for Samsung to include a faster charging mechanism, especially considering that the device has a fairly small battery, in a dual-cell configuration. Over on the audio, it has a stereo speaker setup which also supports Dolby Atmos audio.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Impressions: Conclusion

So, there you have it guys, my initial impressions of the all-new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. It’s easily the most interesting and the narrow phone I’ve used in a while. Plus, the well-optimized One UI of the Flip 3 is the cherry on the top. However, for a thorough review, I will be using it as my daily driver for the upcoming days, so stay tuned for more.

• Check out our initial impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.

After using the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 for a little over a day, I’ll be sharing my early impressions of the phone here. Amidst the barrage of leaks and spoilers, the latest foldable phone from Samsung is finally here. Launched alongside a new flip phone and a couple of wearables, Galaxy Z Fold 3 is technically the fourth-gen foldable phone from the company.

Besides the conventional feature upgrades—that number—the “4th gen” of it all is quite a big deal. It goes on to show just how confident Samsung is in this form factor and the company’s attestation towards making foldable mainstream.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Specifications:

• Body: 271 grams, IPX8 water-resistant, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, Armor Aluminum frame
  • Folded: 158.2 x 67.1 x 16.0mm
  • Unfolded: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4mm
• Display: 
  • Cover: 6.2″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1000/1500 nits brightness (HBM/peak)
  • Main: 7.6″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (LTPO), 900/1200 nits brightness (HBM/peak)
• Resolution:
  • Cover: HD+ (2260 x 832 pixels), 24.5:9 aspect ratio, 387 PPI
  • Main: QXGA+ (2208 x 1768 pixels), 22.5:18 aspect ratio, 374 PPI
• Other Properties: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus (Cover display), HDR10+
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm Mobile Platform)
• CPU: Octa-core:
  – 1x Cortex-X1 (2.84 GHz)
  – 3x Cortex-A78 (2.42 GHz)
  – 4x Cortex-A55 (1.80 GHz)
• GPU: Adreno 660
• Memory: 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256/512GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
• Software & UI: Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top (upgradeable)
• Rear Camera: Triple (with LED flash);
  – Primary: 12MP f/1.8 sensor, DPAF, OIS
  – Ultrawide: 12MP f/2.2 sensor, 123º FOV
  – Telephoto: 12MP f/2.4 sensor, 2x optical zoom, OIS
• Selfie Camera:
  – Outer: 10MP f/2.2 sensor
  – Inner: 4MP f/1.8, under-display camera (UDC)
• Audio: Stereo speaker with Dolby Atmos audio, No headphone jack
• Security: Side-mounted (capacitive), Face unlock
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch, Voice Pickup Unit (VPU)
• Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano + eSIM), Wi-Fi 6 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS / Galileo / Glonass / BeiDou, NFC, UWB, 4G LTE (VoLTE), 5G
• Battery: 4400mAh battery with 25W wired charging (no power adapter provided)
• Wireless Charging: Yes (10W), 4.5W reverse wireless charging
• Color Options: Phantom Black, Phantom Green, Phantom Silver
• What’s inside the box: Galaxy Z Fold 3, SIM ejector, USB-C to USB-C cable, User manual and other documents
• Price in Nepal: 
  • Rs. 219,999 169,999 (12/256GB)
  • Rs. 229,999 179,999 (12/512GB)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Impressions:

Design

• Glass front/back, Armor aluminum frame
• 271 grams, IPX8 water resistance

As last year’s Z Fold 2 had a pretty well-received design, Samsung hasn’t worked much to bring about any significant change on the Fold 3 in this regard. Except maybe making it a couple of millimeters thinner.

But more importantly, the company has managed to bring down the weight from 282 to just 271 grams. While that still doesn’t compare against a regular smartphone, I got used to its heft almost instantaneously—especially when holding it unfolded.

On top of this, Z Fold 3 sneaks in IPX8 water resistance as well. This makes it the only foldable phone in the market to feature an official IP rating. With all the intricate engineering that’s gone into building this phone, I’m honestly surprised as to how Samsung was able to achieve this feat.

Stout body

So yeah, it’s clear that durability was one of the key areas the company focused on when designing the Z Fold 3. Compared to its predecessor, the hideaway hinge and frame enjoys armored aluminum material that promises 10% better sturdiness.

Additionally, both the cover display and the back are now protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus. Contrary to it, Samsung had cheaped out on the Fold 2 by going with Gorilla Glass 6 at the back.

Moving on, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has been tested to withstand up to 200,000 folds, much like the one before it. To put that into context, averaging 100 un/folds a day, this hinge is engineered to endure for well over 5 years.

Likewise, Samsung lets you choose from three color options: Phantom Green, Phantom Black, and Phantom Silver. And I gotta say, I’m really digging this elegantly subtle greenish hue on the Phantom Green variant that I have with me. There’s also a Galaxy Z Fold 3 Thom Browne Edition, but its availability will be limited to select markets like the US.

Display

• Unfolded: 7.6-inches QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• LTPO backplane, Adaptive refresh rate (10-120Hz)
• Folded: 6.2-inches HD+ 120Hz Dynamic 2X AMOLED

Because of its similar dimensions to the Z Fold 2, the display size has stayed the same here. You’re getting a 6.2” screen on the front that unfolds to a 7.6” Dynamic AMOLED display.

However, Samsung has heard our cries about the Fold’s 2 “continuity error” because of the mismatched refresh rate between two screens. As a result, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 implements a 120Hz refresh rate on both displays—albeit with a minute difference.

While the main display uses an LTPO backplane with a variable refresh rate between 10 and 120Hz, the cover screen skips this lavishness for a traditional AMOLED panel that can circle between 60 and 120Hz depending on the screen’s content.

As expected, the colors and contrast levels from a Samsung-made OLED display are unquestionably top-notch and during my brief time with the phone, I’ve had no issue with it so far. Since a foldable phone quite literally hinges on the tenacity of the flexible display, ensuring its reliability and tip-top endurance is crucial.

Keeping that in mind, Samsung says it has optimized the panel structure and used a different kind of protective film on the Fold 3. All of this cumulatively deliver 80% superior durability compared to Fold 2’s main display.

To compare, the screen layer arrangement on the Fold 2 went AMOLED panel → Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) → protective layer → and a factory-applied screen protector. Well, things aren’t that different on the Fold 3 but according to the company, it has switched from TPU to PET screen protector here.

The next Note?

Mostly known for its scratch-resistant properties, I believe Samsung’s decision to ditch TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) in favor of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) also has something to do with the phone’s S Pen support.

Yes, you heard that right. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is also the first foldable phone that enables stylus input. Since TPU material is comparatively softer, it makes for a relatively worse surface to write on. Additionally, the difference between the two is palpable as Fold 3’s main display doesn’t feel nearly as plasticky as the one on Fold 2.

Nonetheless, because the Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) on this phone is nowhere near as strong as regular glass, Samsung has had to develop an entirely different S Pen just for the Fold 3. The S Pen Fold Edition is a Bluetooth-free stylus with an excellent input latency, which feels closer to 9ms like on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. But don’t quote me on that just yet.

There’s also a larger S Pen Pro, which is a Bluetooth-enabled active stylus with support for air gestures. On a grand scale, it even seems that Samsung is desperately betting on the Fold 3 and S21 Ultra to fill up the void left by the lack of a Galaxy Note device this year—thanks to their stylus support.

Regardless, one interesting thing I discovered is that the Z Fold 3 explicitly won’t let you use a stylus other than the S Pen Pro and S Pen Fold Edition on its main display. Trying it out with Galaxy Tab S7 FE’s stylus, we were greeted with a pop-up message warning us against doing so.

Cameras

• Triple-cameras at the back
• (12MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto)
• 10MP selfie camera (cover display, punch-hole)
• 4MP f/1.8, under display camera

Moving on, do you feel something missing when looking at this screen? Nabbing another “world’s first” title to its name, the Fold 3 brings an under-display camera (UDC) as well. To note, there are already a couple of commercially available phones with UDC like the new MIX 4 from Xiaomi, but this is the first foldable phone to include one.

Cameras

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Sadly, Samsung’s first take on an under-display camera leaves much to be desired. From the couple of photos that I’ve managed to take, I’ve found that this 4MP sensor captures sub-par images with incredibly low details. To top it all off, its pixel density is weak enough for one’s eye to notice the camera zone too.

Nevertheless, the UDC is practically invisible when there’s something dark occupying the screen. Besides, I observed it to sort of blend away when looking at the phone upright—similar to the crease in the middle of the screen.

Copy and Paste

While Samsung dared to go for a new camera setup for the front camera, it has left the remaining camera arrangement untouched from the Fold 2. This consists of a trio of 12MP sensors at the back, including OIS support for the wide and telephoto camera, whereas the ultra-wide lens misses out on optical stabilization.

For visible differentiation, Fold 3 incorporates an oblong-shaped camera module which is quite unique for a Samsung phone. Similarly, the cover display hosts a 10MP selfie shooter.

Images

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Judging from the few samples I’ve taken so far, the photos bear a classic Samsung tag with punchy colors and plenty of details. But I’ll be testing them at length in our full review, so be sure to check that out.

Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G SoC (5nm)
• 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256/512GB UFS 3.1 storage
• Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top

Apart from all the hardware marvel, this relatively novel smartphone form factor requires equally competent software to go with it. Thankfully, Samsung has stepped up its software game big time.

According to the company, 57 out of the top 100 apps have been optimized to utilize Fold 3’s main display to the fullest. These include the likes of YouTube, Spotify, MS Office, TikTok, etc. Even Instagram can now go fullscreen here.

Also, One UI 3.1 embeds one-handed usability design principles exceptionally well. It makes the most out of the large screen real-estate by letting you open up to three apps at a time—on top of the floating windows. Flex Mode is yet another ingenious software feature that’s seen as a healthy upgrade.

This was only available in select system apps like Camera on Fold 2. Whereas, One UI 3.1 now lets you turn it on even for third-party apps. Anyway, powering the Z Fold 3 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888, paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and either 256 or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

So, the performance standard is not going to be a problem here. In terms of audio, there’s a dual stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support. It can get plenty loud with a fair amount of details as well.

Battery

• 4400mAh battery with 25W wired charging
• 10W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless charging

Now, remember how I praised Samsung for being able to bring down the phone’s weight? That is, indeed, a direct result of the smaller battery. Compared to the 4500mAh cell on the Fold 2, its successor has a 4400mAh battery. Meanwhile, the charging standard remains the same at 25W wired, 10W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Impressions: Conclusion

So, that was it for my initial impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Like I mentioned before, we will also be coming up with its full review, so stay tuned for that. Till then, look out for our impressions on the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Watch 4 series, and the Buds 2 as well.

• Meanwhile, check out our initial impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.