It's called Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G, but it's actually the second version of the South Korean firm's most compact folding smartphone. In this case, the jump in number, which seeks to unify the nomenclature with its older brother, the Analysis of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, would also be justified by the considerable advance that this Flip 3 represents with respect to the first model launched in early 2020.

That first Flip went on sale for about 1,500 euros, while this Flip 3 is around a thousand (depends on internal storage), which is objectively still a high figure but more in line with higher-end mobiles both from Samsung as well as from other competing brands.

Improvements in all fields

In all its aspects, this new version is better than its predecessor. Holding it in your hand, without opening it, you can already see a better quality of construction and materials, with more steel and glass and less plastic and an even greater sense of comfort than in the first Flip (shell phone nostalgics will appreciate it). especially, although it is a little more difficult to open this one with one hand).

This Flip 3 shares with the Fold 3 features such as the IPX8 certification against splashes (it has not been tested with dust from moving parts), the reduction in thickness or the protection of the device (Gorilla Glass Victus and Armor Aluminum on the outer body, in addition of a new protective layer of the screen and a redesign of the layer structure to increase its durability by 80%, according to the sheet).

screens

Apart from this evolution in construction, the main change of this Flip 3 with respect to its predecessor is the significant increase in the size of the external screen, which goes from 1.1 inches to 1.9 (Super Amoled, with a resolution of 260 x 512 and 302 ppi).

That screen, little more than an ornament in the first folding, now allows access to quick settings, notifications, Samsung Pay to pay without opening the phone and a variety of other elements that, with the available widgets, we can install there.

This small screen, as in its predecessor, also serves as a preview so that, when taking images with the main camera, the model can check the framing. That with the phone open, because with the phone closed we can take selfies with the main camera using that viewfinder screen and the volume button to shoot.

For its part, the main screen is still 6.7 inches, but now it is FHD + Dynamic Amoled 2x (22: 9 ratio), Infinity Flex with 2640 x 1080 resolution and 425 ppi, in addition to an adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz. Screens are one of the strengths of any Samsung phone and this one is no exception.

Performance and battery

Inside, the Flip 3 has a five-nanometer, eight-core processor, in addition to 8 GB of RAM (there are two storage options: 128 and 256 GB) that give it more than enough power for day to day e even for more demanding activities such as video editing, multimedia playback or gaming. We have tried almost everything with it and the response has always been impeccable.

As for the battery, it has a dual 3,300 mAh with 15 W fast charge.

cameras

We have commented that the screen of this Flip 3 is up to those of other high-end phones from Samsung, but in the cameras we cannot say the same. They are very good, yes, and in combination with their own software, they provide high-quality results, but not as good as those obtained, for example, in the Galaxy S21 series or, in short, those that one could expect from a phone of a thousand euros.

The Flip 3 sports a 10-megapixel F2.4 front camera, 80-degree FOV, and a dual rear camera: 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle (F2.2, 123-degree FOV) and a 12-megapixel wide-angle, dual pixel with autofocus and optical stabilization, F1.8, FOV 78 degrees, digital zoom up to 10x, HDR10+ recording and tracking autofocus, among other features.

Flex mode

One of the great findings of the Samsung folding is its Flex Mode, which allows different opening angles that in turn expand the options offered by applications. Although obviously the size of the Fold is more versatile for these purposes, the Flip offers a few interesting possibilities.

Samsung's own core apps and pre-installed Google apps (Duo, Gmail, YouTube, etc.) are adapted to take advantage of Flex mode. If we want to enable it in all, we must activate it from the Labs menu of the settings.

This Flex mode allows different things to happen on the two sides of the screen. With the camera, for example, we will have the viewfinder on one side and the settings or preview on the other; on YouTube, in one the video and in the other the description, comments... Each application that we open will offer different options, which can be adjusted to what suits us best.

In addition, with multitasking you can have several applications open at the same time (and select the size with which you want to see them) and interact with each other, for actions such as dragging text, images or links from one to another.

Dimensions and colors

The Z Flip 3 weighs 183 grams and measures, folded, 8.6 x 7.2 centimeters (1.7 centimeters thick at its widest part, that of the hinge), so it will fit comfortably in any pocket.

It is available in seven colors: Phantom Black (black), cream, olive green, lavender, gray, white and pink (these last three exclusively on the Samsung website) and can be combined with a variety of covers with different colors and designs. .

If, despite everything, the user in question does not find a style that suits him, he can take a look at the Bespoke Edition, with a palette of 49 possible color combinations.

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