Search results for

All search results
Best daily deals

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 impressions: Foldables all grown-up

Samsung's new foldables are formidable thanks to improved mechanics and refined designs.
By

Published onAugust 11, 2021

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 and Flip 3 rear panel
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

After months of leaks and teases from Samsung, the company’s next-generation foldables are finally here. Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3, follow-ups to its category-defining series’ of foldable phones. These two devices are better than their predecessors in more ways than one. Not only do they have the latest in terms of specs and capabilities, but they also feature refined designs that are more robust and user-friendly.

Read on for our hands-on impressions of Samsung’s new foldable phones.

Galaxy Z Fold 3: Third time’s a charm?

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 open with case
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

The first generation Galaxy Fold was clearly a prototype design. It represented a technology experiment — one involving folding displays — and used consumers as guinea pigs to see if the form factor would work. After a bunch of delays, it eventually did, or at least enough so that Samsung soldiered on with it. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was leaps and bounds better than the original and felt like a better encapsulation of what folding phones should be. It was still exorbitantly priced, however, earmarking the Fold for well-to-do buyers looking to make a statement more than anything else.

See also: The best foldable phones you can get

Now that we’ve reached the third generation of folding phones from Samsung, it is obvious that the company has its stuff figured out. In the short time we spent with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it’s plain to us that Samsung has reached its stride in blending high technology with high design. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a solid piece of hardware that impresses upon first blush.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 in black and silver
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

The first thing you’ll notice is the sturdier feel of the phone. The metal frame and Corning Victus Glass mean business and establish a strong first impression when you pick up the phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 may be slightly more trim than its predecessors but it is still a substantial chunk of a device. When closed, it’s tall and narrow, but thick. When open, it’s tall and wide, but thinner. It’s not a phone for the faint of heart.

Samsung has reached its stride in blending high technology with high design.

The hinge, in particular, has a more fluid feel to it. Where earlier Fold phones might have left you lacking in confidence about the hinge mechanism, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 offers clean, smooth action that comes across as sturdy and robust. This is further backed up to some small degree by Samsung’s ability to reach an IPX8 certification against water damage, which means the phone is sealed tight. Everything about the Z Fold 3 inspires more confidence in its quality.

The new outer display is great. Measuring 6.2 inches and offering better-than-HD resolution, it is far more usable than the narrow screen of the original Galaxy Fold. I found the panel to be bright and colorful, and it was easy to use for everyday smartphone tasks, though reaching the top with your thumb is a stretch.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 front display on
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

Of course, you’re buying the Galaxy Z Fold 3 for that huge 7.6-inch internal screen. The smooth action of the hinge makes it a pleasure to open to access that big display. And it looks great. The resolution and brightness of the Super AMOLED are top-notch. You’ll still encounter the slight bump of the seam where the screen actually folds, but it is mostly invisible when you’re using the phone. My favorite feature? The improved durability of the protective film. The Z Fold 3 display doesn’t feel as fragile as its predecessors and that’s a huge bonus.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: Hot or not?

2483 votes

The controls, ports, and other aspects of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 measure up for a modern flagship. You’ve got USB-C, stereo speakers but no headphone jack, a power button, and a volume rocker. They all worked as intended in the time I spent with the phone. You’ll note the SIM tray and 5G antenna module on the left side of the phone (when opened).

Samsung’s software felt and looked quick on the phone, no doubt thanks to the generous helping of RAM (12GB) and zippy Snapdragon 888 processor. We haven’t run any tests, but we expect the phone to perform with the best out there.

It’s a shame the phone still carries a high price point ($1,800), but we’ll reserve the final judgment for our full review, which will be published in the days ahead.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
The first foldable with an IP rating for water resistance.
Samsung's latest foldable flagship looks a lot like the 2020 model but boasts some new design elements and some better specs. It also has an IPX8 rating and supports the use of an S Pen, all at a lower entry price than previous years.

Galaxy Z Flip 3: An affordable foldable

Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 rear profiles
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

The smaller Galaxy Z Flip 3 is every bit as sturdy and compelling as its larger sibling. Where the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is meant to give you the experience of a tablet in your pocket, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is meant to make the phone more pocketable altogether. It takes the standard slab-style phone and bends it in half at the waist to reduce the overall footprint for the ultimate in portability. Does it achieve this goal? It sure does.

I thought the original Galaxy Z Flip was a bit flimsy. It definitely came across as somewhat fragile, much like the first Galaxy Fold did. The external shell, in particular, felt thin and non-protective. The good news is that Samsung has outfitted the Z Flip 3 with the same metal and glass build as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 — and the improvement over previous generations is dramatic. Combined with the more refined hinge, there’s no question that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a stronger phone that can better handle the challenges of everyday use. It also rates IPX8 for protection from water, a big boost for the phone’s longevity.

Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 outer display
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

Perhaps one of the other biggest improvements is the new external display. Where the first two generations of Galaxy Z Flip had a one-line screen that could be used for some basics such as checking the time and notifications, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a larger 1.9-inch AMOLED exterior screen that supports music controls and other widgets for quick and easy interactions. The idea is to let you do more without forcing you to open the phone up. It gives the Galaxy Z Flip 3 a huge boost in raw functionality, though it’s not quite on the same level as the external display of the Motorola Razr. The outer screen looked good in the time we spent with the phone.

Aside from increased durability, one of the biggest improvements is the new external display.

Inside you’ll find an impressive 6.7-inch AMOLED interior screen that runs at 120Hz. The samples on hand exhibited bright screens that were pixel-rich and smooth. I was particularly pleased by the brightness, which appeared improved to my eyes when compared to the original Z Flip. You will notice the seam in the middle of the screen, although it is much less obvious than the seam of older Flip series phones. Like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 features a new protective cover that withstands more abuse and feels more robust. Samsung’s foldable screen technology has come a long way these last couple of years.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has just about the same selection of ports and controls as the Galaxy Z Fold 3. That means power and volume buttons along the right edge, SIM tray on the left edge, and USB-C tucked into the bottom edge.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: Hot or not?

625 votes

I like the custom software available on the phone. Samsung makes good use of the Flip’s split-screen potential with things like camera controls on the lower half of the screen when the phone is folded halfway. It’s the little things that matter.

Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 color family
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

Perhaps the phone’s most impressive feature? The price. Where the original Z Flip sold for $1,400, this new foldable is being offered for just $999. That’s a huge price reduction and raises the value equation significantly. Of course, we’ll offer our full accounting of the phone’s worth in a full review to follow soon.

Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 togeher
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Samsung's clamshell foldable gets new perks at a lower price.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 features a bevy of upgrades over its predecessor, including a tougher screen and an IPX8 rating, and starts at under $1,000.

What do you think of Samsung’s two new foldables? Let us know in the polls in this article and in the comments!

You might like