Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 Review: The Folding Flagship Refined
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 Software And User Experience
The Galaxy Z Flip3’s software is typical Samsung. It runs One UI
3.1.1 on top of Android 11, which is a bit of an acquired taste, if
(like us) you prefer a lighter, sleeker flavor of Android. For
example, while Samsung finally added the Google Discover feed to the
left of the home screen, you still have to scroll horizontally in
the app tray, which is unintuitive. Also, Bixby continues to rear its ugly head, along with ads in various Samsung apps.
Most of these niggles can be remedied in the settings -- and Samsung will be removing ads from its apps later this year -- but you shouldn’t have to jump through so many hoops to setup a handset to your liking, never mind one that costs $1000. The Z Flip3 also lacks Samsung DeX, which is disappointing. Aside from all this, One UI provides a decent user experience, and you can read more about it (and DeX) in our Galaxy S21 review.
Most of these niggles can be remedied in the settings -- and Samsung will be removing ads from its apps later this year -- but you shouldn’t have to jump through so many hoops to setup a handset to your liking, never mind one that costs $1000. The Z Flip3 also lacks Samsung DeX, which is disappointing. Aside from all this, One UI provides a decent user experience, and you can read more about it (and DeX) in our Galaxy S21 review.
Flex Mode is interesting. Apps that support Flex Mode can split their interface into custom top and bottom halves when the Z Flip3 is partially folded. For example, in Flex Mode the camera app will switch from a full-screen viewfinder with settings on top and controls on the bottom to a viewfinder on the top half and all the settings and controls on the bottom half. Ditto for the Gallery, Calendar, and YouTube apps. It’s clever.
But we’re more excited about the changes Samsung’s made to the cover screen. Besides being larger than last year’s, its functionality is also much improved. In addition to the basic camera interface we described in the imaging section, the cover display offers a number of features that make the Z Flip3 easier to use when closed. By default, it shows the date, time, and battery level, plus an orange dot for pending notifications.
Double tap on the cover screen (or press the power / lock key) and it comes to life, showing the clock card. Swipe right to see a list of notifications, or swipe left to see additional cards, including music, weather, calendar, alarm, and timer. You can also press and hold the clock card to customize it, or press and hold any of the other cards to rearrange the card order, or remove cards you don’t want on the cover display.
This can also be tweaked in the cover screen menu in the phone settings. Swipe down on the clock card to adjust the cover display brightness and toggle alerts between sound, vibration, and mute. Finally, you can swipe individual notifications to dismiss them from the list of notifications and even clear them all. Tapping on individual notifications expands them, and gives you the option to dismiss them or to launch the matching app on the inside screen.
In all, this new cover display is super convenient, and we like the way it mimics Samsung’s familiar smart watch user experience. We’re less enamored with the amount of bloatware that came pre-installed on our AT&T review unit. Besides Google and Samsung’s usual apps, our Z Flip3 came with eight AT&T apps, a few Microsoft apps, DirecTV, Amazon Shopping, and more. That’s not a great look.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 Pricing And Competition
The Galaxy Z Flip3 is available unlocked from Samsung and several
online retailers for $1000 (8/128GB) or $1050 (8/256GB), and comes
in four colors -- Cream (like our review unit), Phantom Black,
Green, and Lavender. In addition, three more hues -- White,
Pink, and Gray -- are available (made to order) directly from
Samsung. You can also purchase the Z Flip3 (locked) through all
major US carriers.
For example, AT&T sells the Z Flip3 (8/128GB only) for $1000 upfront or in installments of $28 / month (36 months, 0% interest). And if you're not an AT&T customer, Samsung offers the Z Flip3 unlocked and bloatware-free for the exact same financing terms. Trade-ins are also available from Samsung (up to 4 devices) and from the carriers, so shop wisely. It's also worth noting that carriers like AT&T might provide faster customer support than Samsung.
For example, AT&T sells the Z Flip3 (8/128GB only) for $1000 upfront or in installments of $28 / month (36 months, 0% interest). And if you're not an AT&T customer, Samsung offers the Z Flip3 unlocked and bloatware-free for the exact same financing terms. Trade-ins are also available from Samsung (up to 4 devices) and from the carriers, so shop wisely. It's also worth noting that carriers like AT&T might provide faster customer support than Samsung.
As for the competition, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is in a league of its own. While
there might be deals on last year’s Z Flip 5G or Moto Razr 5G,
neither have water resistance, a 120Hz display, or mmWave 5G (the
Razr 5G even lacks an ultrawide shooter). This leaves you with
non-folding $1000 flagships like the Galaxy S21+, OnePlus 9 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro, which benefit from a telephoto camera and bigger
batteries, but aren’t nearly as fun.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 Final Verdict
Let’s not mince words here. We love the Galaxy Z Flip3. It’s both
incredibly cool and supremely functional. Samsung took last year’s
excellent Z Flip and Z Flip 5G, and made them even better -- with a
sleeker design, a larger cover screen, and a 120Hz display. As a
bonus, we even get mmWave 5G. But what’s even more important is that
Samsung was able to lower the price to $1000 (or less -- it's currently on sale for $925) and improve durability by adding water resistance.
Other than missing a telephoto shooter and packing a smaller battery, the Z Flip3 compares favorably to similarly priced non-folding flagships. As such, for the first time ever, we can actually recommend a folding handset to anyone -- not just tech-savvy early adopters. In just two years, Samsung has turned folding phones from expensive, fragile tools to mainstream, viable devices. That’s an outstanding achievement.
Find The Galaxy Z Flip3 @ Amazon.com
Other than missing a telephoto shooter and packing a smaller battery, the Z Flip3 compares favorably to similarly priced non-folding flagships. As such, for the first time ever, we can actually recommend a folding handset to anyone -- not just tech-savvy early adopters. In just two years, Samsung has turned folding phones from expensive, fragile tools to mainstream, viable devices. That’s an outstanding achievement.
Find The Galaxy Z Flip3 @ Amazon.com
The Z Flip3 isn’t perfect. Battery life, charging speeds, and the cameras all leave room for improvement. And while the cover screen is intuitive, One UI isn’t for everyone. But ultimately, there are few compromises here, so kudos to Samsung for making something truly special. If you’re looking for a flagship that’s unique and different, but gets the job done in style, we highly recommend the Galaxy Z Flip3
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