Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, video analysis
The concept: fold for comfort
Samsung currently offers two models of folding phones that are similar in that of opening and closing, but they are focused on very different users. On the one hand, there is the Z Fold 3 that seeks to give you a larger screen for productivity issues and other uses when you need them without having to resort to a laptop or tablet. In addition, this year it offers support for the S Pen and that multiplies the possibilities.
On the other is this Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the idea he proposes is that of a phone that takes up little space in your pocket, but that does not imply sacrificing a screen with a size like the one you would have in most current smartphones.
This second device is what we are going to talk about today. Of him and his design that is the main value and attraction of the Galaxy Z Flip3. What’s more, if you value to what extent it is worth buying or not, only this design can convince you that you want it. If not, for many extras and advantages, some disadvantages could weigh you more and end up giving it up. Still, let’s go in parts.
Physically it is a phone with a very high quality of materials and construction. It is a real delight to have it in your hand and now it is finally waterproof. That does not mean that you can submerge it, but if you have a mishap with liquids you will not have to worry. I would not do the test anyway. Continuing with the physical section, the device comes in various color combinations.
The one that we have analyzed in particular with that beige and black tone is very elegant, a small piece of luxury that can only be reproached for being a fingerprint magnet. But that is no longer a surprise to virtually anyone who has ever used a terminal with a glass back.
Regarding the details, the phone in general is quite clean and the only thing you will see on its edges are the buttons for the volume control and the power button where the fingerprint reader is. East fingerprint reader it will no longer surprise anyone by location working fast and well.
So now the only important element that remains is on the outside: the second screen. This has grown in size in this generation and that is good, because now you can interact and consult much more information in a simple way thanks to the widgets that it offers and that allows you to show data such as the calendar, messages received, notifications, etc.
Congratulations on the folding mechanism are only Samsung. It continues to be noticeable, especially with the screen off, but once it is turned on and unless there is a strong reflection it is not noticeable. That visually, another thing is when you slide your finger on the screen.
When you are interacting with the phone logically you notice a little jump in the middle of the screen, but it is something obvious for which there is still no effective solution, no matter how much Samsung has achieved reduce the radius of the bend.
However, it is the price that must be paid for having this type of solution. But once you have it clear, you accept it and stop thinking about it, it is not a problem and the experience begins to be much more comfortable. As long as the use you make of the terminal is not very intensive. Or what is the same, do not be every two by three with the phone in hand, because going opening and closing can be somewhat uncomfortable. As much or more as walking by entering the unlock code instead of resorting to the fingerprint reader or face unlock.
High-end performance
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is much more than a high-end phone for the design and folding system, it is also for its technical sheet. And it is that this device has specifications that have nothing to envy to that of the proposals of the high-end of the brand itself and its competitors.
To start with is the processor, a Snapdragon 888 with 5G connectivity. So, little to say in this regard. With all kinds of applications it behaves great, even demanding games. Of course, this is not the phone I would buy if what I mainly want to do is play games.
This good performance is also achieved with the combination of 8 GB of RAM and two options of 128 and 256 GB storage. The storage capacity is not much, but again it is adequate for the real use that such a device would have. In addition, it is not that it is little that it includes as standard.
Regarding the screen, beyond being foldable, the panel used by Samsung offers an image quality similar to what we are accustomed to with its most recent proposals such as the Galaxy S21 family. Vivid colors, deep blacks, a good level of brightness, … a screen that is enjoyed and that, in addition, offers a 120 Hz refresh rate.
The same happens with the sound, here it may be a bit at a disadvantage with other options, but in general they sound good with all kinds of content. But surely when you are going to use it for music or movies you will resort to headphones.
And finally, the battery itself is its main weak point. with a stack of 3,300 mAh It is the weakest section for a high-end phone. It is logical that in order to maintain a size like this and to be able to accommodate the entire folding system, etc., it is necessary to reduce its dimensions. So, you have to bear in mind that you may run out before what you could handle with a Galaxy S21, for example.
In general lines and evaluating only the performance, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 complies well with what is expected of a high-end terminal. The battery is the weakest section, but in the end it all depends on the type of use you make of the product in your day to day. Other phones like the iPhone 12 Pro can suffer in this too and no one thinks that’s why it’s not worthy of being high-end.
It is not a Galaxy S21, but at a photographic level it looks like it
The cameras are for many of us an important section and for me in particular what strikes me the most about any phone. But from the beginning I was clear that here I had to relax my expectations. Because, as I said, the value of the terminal is its design and folding system.
Still, photographically I would have thought that it would be at the height of the Galaxy S21. And I’m not saying it isn’t in almost all situations, but it’s not exactly the same performance from my point of view.
In this terminal you will have three cameras. The front and the two of the main or rear camera. The former with the use of the external display is less important in this phone, although the performance is not bad. And of the other two, practically the same. With two 12 MP sensors and wide angle and angle lenses, the capabilities are quite versatile alongside a complete application.
With a little knowledge you can get very good catches. And in night photography I personally liked what it is capable of doing. You only have, as I say, control the exposure in the highlights so that everything is as you are really seeing it in real life.
Is the Galaxy Z Flip 3 worth it?
As I said at the beginning, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a phone that is not easy to judge, because there is no clear reference or direct competitors as to what the proposal implies in general terms. That is why I think it is difficult to say whether it is worth it or not.
For price, although it may seem high, it seems to me that it is very good if you take into account that you are not with a prototype that seeks to draw the future but with a real product that already brings that future to the palm of your hand.
The fact of being able to go with such a small phone is amazing. Although sometimes your heart skips thinking that you could have left it somewhere because you don’t even feel it in your pocket. In addition, if you are not to consult the phone excessively every few minutes, with the external screen it is worth it and when you open it you continue having the same experience as always.
The “problem” or reason why I would not bet on it, because the use you make of a smartphone. I said before that opening and closing every two to three is more annoying than having to enter an unlock code or pattern on any phone instead of using biometric security systems.
If you add to that the battery that can be somewhat fair, the result is a proposal that is again intended for an audience that is clear that they want to have a folding already. Because the rest of us can continue to use current smartphones, which will also be somewhat cheaper if you do not need to have the latest in processor, screen, etc.
Anyway, the decision is yours, the time that I have been using it has seemed impressive and I will love that more brands are encouraged to come up with their own proposals, see how the layers evolve to take advantage of these folding templates, etc. My summary would be that I want it and I don’t want it in equal parts.
