For a few years now, foldable smartphones have been the next big thing. But previous attempts to conquer the mainstream have failed. With the new Galaxy Z Flip3, Samsung wants to do it now. The test showed: the chances are good.
Fold it away: In the age of cell phones, the fold-away gesture by Razr and Co. was the epitome of coolness. For two years now, Samsung, Huawei and others have been trying to transfer the magic of the clamshell phones to smartphones. And so far they have failed to penetrate the mass market. The latest attempt is the new . I’ve already tested it and I think this device could do it for the first time.
Because the new Flip does a lot of things right that previously stood in the way of success. For one thing, it really feels like the high-end smartphone, which it is undeniable. If previous folding smartphones were characterized by compromises, this one looks really round. And the price is finally slipping into an acceptable range. But one after the other.
Folding madness
When I open the Flip3 for the first time, there is an immediate feeling of amazement. Even though I’ve already used several folding smartphones. The feeling of opening and closing the 6.7-inch touchscreen hardly wears off, even after several days. Again and again, when I close it and put it away, I have to keep from grinning. It’s just cool. My daughter, who is otherwise not very enthusiastic about technology, understands this immediately. And wants to constantly demonstrate the device to her friends.
It hardly matters that the form factor has few advantages for me personally. I’ve never had problems accommodating even the largest classic smartphones; I carry the largest iPhone model in my pocket every day. Strictly speaking, the small, slightly thicker form factor of the folded Flip3 does not give me any space advantage.
But: It changes the way I use the smartphone. If you take a classic smartphone in your hand, it is quickly unlocked; after the actual reason for opening it, you fiddle around with it a bit. This happens less often with the folding device, I notice at some point. Once I have read my mail, I close it quickly. And I never even think about starting another app.
blessing and curse
However, this is a blessing and a curse. Because even if the instinctive tapping on the Instagram symbol can be a little less frequent: If numerous messages come in and you have closed the door in between, you always have to open the device again. Laying it down unfolded is possible, but it feels wrong. And so the work chats with teams or the private chats with Signal are occasionally a bit more annoying than you would actually like.
This is also due to the fact that Samsung has not taken over one of the decisive factors of the classic flip smartphone: The display does not “flip” open and shut, but always has to be opened or closed completely by hand. I cannot yet say whether you will get used to it in the long run. In a week of use it still bothered me from time to time.
This is also a shame because the folding mechanism is otherwise really well implemented. While the manufacturer’s first folding smartphone, the Fold, still had a fat gap between the halves of the screen when it was closed, the small slot on the Flip3 can hardly be seen. Once opened, it can only be seen as a folding model on closer inspection. The fold cannot be seen at all on the great display on light backgrounds. With bright lighting and dark content, a small reflection reveals that the display is not completely smooth. But even that only bothers if you pay attention to it. The edge is somewhat noticeable when you run your finger over it. But that too is more of a question of habit than a real problem.
Technically top
You don’t have to make any compromises with the display itself this time. The glass screen feels good, is very bright and sharp and offers a great color display. And: It masters the 120 Hertz technology known from other top smartphones such as the Galaxy S21. If the content moves quickly, the device switches up to 120 frames per second. For example, scrolling is displayed as smooth as butter. There are no compromises when it comes to computing power either. The built-in Snapdragon 888 is the fastest freely available chip on the market; in benchmarks, the Flip3 even featured Samsung’s previous flagship, the in the shadows. The chip performed all tasks with ease in the test and should also be suitable for complex games and the like for a few more years.
Unfortunately, there is a relatively large compromise in terms of battery performance. With 3300 milliampere hours (mAh), the Flip is probably relatively lean for its size due to the design. In the test, it usually lasted the whole day, but with intensive use it could reach its limits before the evening. In addition, it doesn’t load as quickly as many of its competitors. It is to be hoped that Samsung will invest some work in future models.
Camera: Good, not great
There is still some room for improvement with the camera, but it really doesn’t have to hide. The recordings are sharp and detailed during the day, and the Flip brings out impressive details and colors even in poor lighting conditions. As is known from Samsung, the pictures on the display often look a bit too trendy if you load them onto a computer, but the colors appear much more realistic. In poor light, dark areas are brightened a little more, whether you like it or not is ultimately a matter of taste. You can find an overview in the photo gallery.
It is a bit of a shame that Samsung skips the step towards a full high-end camera: In addition to the wide-angle camera, only an ultra-wide-angle camera is installed for larger image sections. Unfortunately, the company did not use the great zoom lens, which enables the Galaxy S21 Ultra to be magnified up to ten times without loss of detail. This prevents the camera from playing along at the very front. But it is always in the front area.
Half flap
The form factor proves to be a surprising advantage when taking a snap. Because: Because the flip can also be used half-closed, I can simply put it down anywhere and use the device as my own tripod. This is a nice bonus, especially for group photos or selfies with the main camera.
In general, the use of the half-folded mode is limited. Samsung advertises to watch videos or make video calls in this way. In practice, however, half the display is too small for that. It works, but you also have to want it. At some point, I personally switched to leaning the device against something like other smartphones.
Annoying unlocking
It’s a shame that Samsung has made unlocking the device unnecessarily inconvenient. The fingerprint sensor placed in the power button works well, but unfortunately it is placed in the upper half of the folding device. In plain language this means: I have to open the device completely to be able to use it. Instead of opening it up and being able to use it immediately, there is a further step. That’s why at some point I used face recognition instead of fingerprints for the test.
But it is not really recommendable. Unlike Apple’s FaceID, Samsung does not scan facial features in 3D, but only uses the conventional image from the front camera. However, this is considerably less secure and has been tricked in the past with a simple photo. In the next version, Samsung should either use more secure face recognition or install the fingerprint sensor in the lower part so that you can unlock it when you open it.
Affordable, if not cheap
With a list price from 1050 euros for the version with 128 GB of storage, the Galaxy Z Flip3 is the first folding smartphone that is in the same price segment as classic premium smartphones. In some cases it is already available on the internet well below the magic mark of 1000 euros. It is almost a third cheaper than the other folding devices and is suddenly in direct competition with classic smartphones such as Samsung’s Galaxy S21 or the .
Conclusion: finally mainstream
Despite the small flaws, that is a successful smartphone that scores with its chic design, a cool and often useful unique selling point, but hardly demands any compromises. In combination with the good technical features and the significantly lower price, it is the first folding smartphone that can actually be recommended to buy.
The Galaxy Z Flip3 is not suitable for everyone. If you need a lot of battery power and want the best possible result with photos and videos, you should wait a generation. The price is also only appropriate for the new form factor. It doesn’t matter whether the smartphone works or not, classic models like the iPhone 12 are the or the Galaxy S21 the better choice.
Nevertheless, the chances are very good that the Galaxy Z Flip3 will sell so well that you will soon see a folding device on the street more often. The flap effect is just still really cool.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is already available in stores. Samsung offers seven different colors, three of which are exclusively available on their own website.
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
