2 Minute Review
This is a phone with a lot of compromises, but I still find myself coming back to use it as my daily driver over and over again.
I remember getting my first phone in 2006 — a nondescript black Samsung flip phone. I would pull that phone out for any excuse I could think of to answer a call, shoot a quick text, or try to take a picture. After 6 months of using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 I find myself looking for those same excuses to pull the phone out. There is something just inherently more satisfying about finishing using the phone and flipping it closed… just like in 2006.
Without fail at restaurants, bars, etc. if I take this phone out at least one person will ask me either: “What phone is that?? Does the screen really fold in half?!” Or “Ohhh is that the flip phone? Do you like it? Does the crease bother you?” I personally haven’t experienced this much interest in a phone since the early days of the iPhone where people were genuinely excited about the potential of these new “smartphones”.
While I keep coming back to this phone as my daily driver, I have yet to recommend to anyone to buy one. More than anything, the battery life anxiety that comes with this phone is constant. Even on days with light use, I have to go find a charger before the day is up.
Background
I picked up the Phantom Black color-way with the baseline 128 GB storage option. You can also find the phone in a Cream, Lavender, or Green color and it has one additional storage option of 256 GB. Note you can go directly to Samsung's website and order a bespoke edition color-way, that allows you to pick the colors of the phone… kind of reminiscent of the old Moto Maker for the Moto X.
Review
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Battery Life: There is no getting around it on this one… It’s TERRIBLE. Watching a video or playing a game, I can just watch the percentages drop off by the minute. However where this really falls short is standby. With the phone closed a majority of the day (on light usage days) the battery will still be dead before 10:00 PM.
Cameras: These cameras are fine. With enough light you can pretty consistently get a pretty solid shot. But in anything less than ideal light you are going to be disappointed with the outcome. I found myself carrying around a Pixel 5 anytime as well anytime I thought I was going to want to take pictures because I just couldn’t trust the Z Flip to get the job done.
Screen(s): While the front screen is much larger than the Z Flip 1 & 2, it still seems like there is some wasted space when you look at the front of the device when closed. That said, using the front screen is sufficient to look through notifications, change the phone from ring to vibrate, use tap to pay, etc. Once you open the phone, the main display is what we’ve come to expect from Samsung. It’s big, has a fast refresh rate, and is enjoyable to use (and yes, you get used to the crease in the screen very quickly!).
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One of the things that drew me to the Z flip 3 from the beginning was this idea of “Intentionality”. With the passable front display, there was an extra step to get into my phone. Which sounds like a drawback, but it forced me to think twice before I found myself endlessly scrolling down social media for no real reason.
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One of the most common questions I get after the initial questions (listed in the 2 min review above), always had something to do with if I was nervous about breaking it. My answer was then, and still is - on a regular day : no - I don’t use a case and drop my phone on occasion and have had no issues. However if I’m going to the beach, or somewhere that I know has the opportunity for me to put the phone in some dirt/ sand I will try to switch to another phone - the lack of dust resistance on the phone is always in the back of my mind.
Verdict
It’s an incredibly fun phone to use, and I’m excited for Samsung to release the next versions, but unless they are able to address and correct some of the major gaps with the battery life and camera I don’t see myself buying the Z Flip 4.