Samsung made waves in the smartphone market when it launched its first generation of foldable devices in 2019 – the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. While innovative, these early foldable phones were plagued with durability issues and exorbitant price tags. However, Samsung made significant improvements in its 3rd generation foldables launched in August 2021 – the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G.
With foldable device technology maturing and prices becoming more reasonable, consumers now face an exciting but confusing dilemma – which of Samsung‘s latest foldables is the better pick? Let‘s compare the Samsung Flip 3 and Fold 3 head-to-head across 10 key categories to help shed some light.
Price
Straight off the bat, the Samsung Z Flip 3 provides much better value with its starting price of $999 for 128GB storage compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 which starts at $1799 for 256GB. For budget-conscious buyers or those new to foldable phones, the Flip is undoubtedly the more palatable choice. The difference in base storage can also be an important factor for people wanting more built-in memory for apps, photos, videos, etc.
- Flip 3 Price – $999 (128GB), $1049 (256GB)
- Fold 3 Price – $1799 (256GB), $1899 (512GB)
Design and Displays
The design, shape and displays are the most obvious points of differentiation between these devices. The clamshell-style Z Flip 3 unfolds to reveal a tall and slim 6.7” display with a resolution of 2640 x 1080 pixels. The 1.9” Super AMOLED cover display allows you to check notifications when the phone is closed. It weighs just 183 grams making it highly pocketable.
On the other hand, the aptly named Z Fold 3 actually unfolds to transform from a 6.2” smartphone into a small 7.6” tablet. The inner foldable display has a higher resolution at 2208 × 1768 pixels owing to the larger screen size. But no prizes for guessing that increased real estate also makes it bulkier and heavier at 271 grams.
For most users, the Flip makes for an ideal smartphone while the Fold is incredibly well-suited forserious multitaskers who value screen real estate over portability. But if you simply want the coolest tech regardless of practicality, the Fold surely steals the show.
Cameras
With smartphone cameras being such a vital feature for any user, how do these devices stack up? Frankly speaking, neither phone can be considered as top-tier camera phones especially up against iPhone 13 Pro Max and Galaxy S22 Ultra which rule the roost presently.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 sports two 12MP cameras (main + ultrawide) which are perfectly adequate for casual users and social media sharing. It can record video up to 4K@60fps quality. The 10MP selfie camera embedded in the inner display is also decent enough.
The pricier Fold 3 offers a more versatile triple camera array with 12MP sensors (wide, ultrawide and telephoto) along with dual optical image stabilization. It can record 8K video and has special shooting modes like portrait and night modes. The under-display 4MP selfie sensor is a bit of a letdown though.
For photography enthusiasts wanting best-in-class image quality, neither device fully fits the bill. But among the two, the Z Fold 3 certainly offers extra photographic features to edge out its clamshell sibling.
Performance
When it comes to raw processing power and benchmarks, both phones are surprisingly well-matched with the same brains under the hood – Qualcomm‘s flagship Snapdragon 888 octacore 5G chipset paired with 8GB RAM (Flip 3) and 12GB RAM (Fold 3). Performance is blazing fast across the board for social media, web browsing, video playback etc.
The Fold 3 pulls ahead for those who are into serious gaming or multiprocessing thanks to that extra RAM though. It also offers twice the built-in storage compared to the base Flip 3 (256GB vs 128GB). For general performance, opening apps, good haptic feedback and fluid user interface – both phones are evenly matched.
Battery Life
Owing to its larger 4400 mAh dual battery (vs 3300 mAh on Flip 3), the Galaxy Z Fold 3 offers significantly better battery backup allowing over a day of normal usage compared to less than a day on the Flip. However, Samsung‘s aggressive battery optimization does help the Flip maximize each percent better.
Both phones offer fast wired and wireless charging. So despite inferior battery specs, the Flip 3 can be juiced up quickly for short bursts of use. For road warriors and heavy phone users, the Fold‘s extra endurance would prove to be a better lifeline. Most users would be reaching for the charger every night with both.
Special Features
The Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 offer a few fun and productivity enhancing features specially designed to showcase their foldable talents. Both phones can remain opened flexibly at different angles to enable hands-free shooting and video calls. This Flex mode is perhaps more beneficial on the Flip with its taller aspect ratio.
One UI 4.0‘s new taskbar on the Fold 3 boosts multitasking allowing you to open multiple resizable windows. Its S Pen support (sold separately) also sets it apart as a formidable productivity tool for professionals compared to the Flip. However, power comes with bulk which could be a put-off.
Durability
Durability and reliability have been pain points for every foldable phone thus far. But Samsung seems to have greatly improved the sturdiness of this year‘s offerings with redesigned hinge mechanisms, metal frames and stretchable display protection film. Both the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 should easily outlast their predecessors in terms of endurance and wear-and-tear. Between the two, Flip may have a slight edge for durability thanks to its simpler design. Only time (and real world stress tests) can tell for sure though!
Software Updates
Samsung offers 4 Android OS upgrades along with 5 years of security updates for its premium Galaxy smartphones. So buyers of both the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 can expect a similar software support lifespan with updates until around 2026-27 which is quite generous. Unconfirmed rumors suggest Samsung might actually prioritize foldables for even longer updates due to high profitability which would be great news.
Resale Value
Modern day flagship smartphones typically start losing value from the moment first sales begin to show a drastic decline over their lifespan. However, just as with other rare collectibles, Samsung‘s foldables have bucked this trend thus far. Going by the high demand and short supply of every Samsung foldable phone so far, they have retained incredible resale value well above typical flagships. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 for example still sells for over $1000 used on eBay almost 2 years after launch. So that should come as good news for anyone planning to sell their Samsung foldable a couple years down the line!
Verdict – Which Phone Wins?
So when we tally up the score between Samsung‘s 2021 folding smartphones, which one comes out on top? Let‘s summarize key findings:
Price – Clear advantage Flip 3
Practicality – Flip easier to pocket and use
Cameras & Battery – Fold 3 better specs but Flip no slouch
Performance – Almost equal barring heavy tasks favoring Fold
Durability – Slight edge to Flip but too early to declare winner
Priced at almost half of the Galaxy Z Fold, most average consumers would undoubtedly find better overall value for money in the Samsung Galaxy Flip 3. It retains most of the top-tier smartphone basics in a cool folding form factor that won‘t break the bank. Frequent travellers will appreciate the light and pocketable Flip for all their social media sharing needs.
But for professionals who demand the ultimate in smartphone screen real estate and computing muscle for work and play – power users, gamers, artists, creatives – the Z Fold 3 won‘t disappoint provided one is willing to bear a hefty price tag. Boasting the best internal hardware among foldables with special features tailored to leverage that folding tablet design, it is in a class of its own…for now!
Samsung seems to have finally hit the sweet spot between innovation and mass adoption with their 3rd generation foldable devices. The Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 strike an ideal balance of durability, practicality and affordability – signs of a promising future for this emerging tech segment. Exciting times ahead for early adopters in 2023 and beyond!
Buoyed by strong initial sales in the second half of 2021 and early 2022, Samsung has continued to show immense faith in its foldable lineup. The tech giant included both the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 in the 4 year security updates program announced in April 2022.
This puts the devices on par with 2022-2023 flagship S and Note series phones for regular patches. Going by typical Samsung timelines for former flagships, users can expect guaranteed updates for both foldables until September 2026 which is quite generous.
Samsung has also continued to optimize and enhance software experiences across its foldables lineup via One UI updates that add new features. Earlier this month, over 60 security vulnerabilities were addressed in July 2023 security patches rolled out to the two phones. For added style, two new cool colors have been launched in 2023 for both models – Bora Purple and Graphite.
On the sales front, research firm Counterpoint estimates the Galaxy Z Flip maintained its position as the world‘s best-selling foldable capturing over 51% market share in 2023. This shows strong ongoing demand for Samsung‘s flip form factor among foldable buyers.
With competing brands like Motorola, OPPO and Huawei also jumping into the foldable race, Samsung will surely be motivated to raise the bar for future models. Having gained significant expertise over 3 generations, competition will struggle to match Samsung‘s world-class displays, engineering and device ecosystem.
If rumors from reputed analysts prove accurate, Samsung will launch the 4th generation Flip and Fold models within 6 months from now. Both phones are tipped to sport upgraded chipsets (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 perhaps), improved cameras with high megapixel counts, and minor design tweaks.
A key expectation for the Fold 4 is attaining an actual IP water resistance rating which has been a glaring omission thus far. Despite lacking certification, the Z Fold 3 could actually withstand light splashes and submergence already. An official IP rating will finally lay doubts to rest.
Another anticipate upgrade for next-gen folds is brighter displays with better outdoor visibility along with Samsung‘s advanced low-power LTPO OLED panels seen on the S22 series. Of course, one can also expect faster charging, incrementally better durability and refreshed color options.
While exciting technological improvements surely lie ahead, current owners of the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 need not have any buyer‘s remorse. Both devices will continue going strong for 3-4 years if handled with care. Their unique versatility and style will appeal to different user preferences for a long time yet before folding screens get commoditized like regular slabs!
