- Of the compact foldables, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
has been the biggest success by far.
There's obviously something nostalgic
about having a flip phone
for those who remember carrying them around,
and there's equally something so satisfying
about folding an actual display
into a more pocketable clamshell form factor.
Here's the thing.
I was a Z Flip hater
until I spent time with the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Now I'll explain what Samsung did
to change my mind in this video
while also giving you my early impressions
of the latest Z Flip hardware.
Now, for some background,
there was the original Galaxy Z Flip
and then a Z Flip 5G
which added faster cellular connectivity
and which I assume Samsung considers to be the second flip
since the new one is called the Z Flip 3.
Now side by side, the Z Flip 3 and the original Z Flip
aren't that different.
The Z Flip 3 is about 17.1 millimeters thin when folded,
while the Z flip was around 17.4.
When you unfold, the Z Flip 3 is shorter and narrower,
but both smartphones are equally thin at 6.9 millimeters.
Now I definitely appreciate the tighter build.
And if you do too, hit that Like button down below.
Weight is also identical at 183 grams,
although the Z Flip 3
definitely feels like the more premium device,
thanks to the new armor aluminum Samsung is using
along with Gorilla Glass Victus.
Another big change here
is the addition of IPX8 certification,
which means the Z Flip 3 can be submerged in water
for up to 30 minutes at a depth up to 1.5 meters
with no problems.
Although it's interesting
that there's no dust resistance rating,
but still it can survive splashes and spills.
But overall, I think the build quality of the Z Flip 3
feels much more solid and robust
compared to the original Z Flip,
especially with that added water protection.
Now, I'll be testing this out more in the fore view,
so be sure sure to hit the Subscribe button
so you don't miss that one.
Another big change comes with the outer display,
like the tiny, and dare I say, borderline useless
1.1 inch Super AMOLED cover display
of the original Z Flip.
The Z Flip 3 has a much larger
1.9 inch Super AMOLED cover display.
This is an always on-display
that supports notifications and widgets.
If you're already a Z Flip user,
then you're gonna love this improvement.
Using the cover display for selfies is also a lot easier
with that extra real estate.
Just double tap the power button,
and you're taking selfies with the primary rear camera,
which is still super cool.
More on the cameras in a minute,
but first let's talk about the folding display.
It's the same size as the previous generation,
a 6.7 inch panel with a full HD plus resolution
and a very slightly different 22:9 aspect ratio
compared to the 21.99 on the Z Flip.
But here the Infinity Flex Display is the Dynamic AMOLED 2X,
which means you'll get a variable refresh rate
up to 120 Hertz and a protective layer
for 80% better resistance,
both of which are welcome additions to the Z Flip line.
Samsung is also working on making software
as intuitive as possible.
So when using flex mode,
there's a new panel that makes apps look better
and easier to use.
And when you're watching a video,
the phone brings all your brightness and volume controls
right to the bottom half of the display
for easy reachability.
It also does something similar
when you're in the camera mode.
Aside from all that though,
the Z Flip 3 just behaves like a regular smartphone
when opened up.
And this is why I was a hater.
I admit it.
You see, it seemed to me that the focus
on the original Z Flip was on the cool factor
of folding up the phone,
but the second you unfolded it,
it was just a subpar Galaxy S20.
When I'm actually using the phone,
I would rather have the S20 in my hand,
although this is an S21,
the S20 in my hand rather than an unfolded Z Flip.
Because at that point, what's the difference?
It's no longer folded,
you're in candy bar mode, if you will,
and the Galaxy S was the better phone.
Now, don't get me wrong, I know that cool factor sells,
but paying a premium
for a phone that didn't bring the same level of power
did bother me.
However, this year, Samsung didn't skip in the power area.
You get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G system on a chip
coupled with eight gigabytes of RAM
and either 128 gigs or 256 gigs of storage.
You also find a 10 megapixel camera
sitting on the Infinity-O cut out,
so no under-display camera like you see on the Z Fold 3.
And I'm actually glad because the Z Fold 3 internal camera
isn't as good as what you're seeing here on the Z Flip.
The primary camera is a dual 12 megapixel setup.
Everything about the camera hardware remains the same,
but instead of an 8X digital zoom that was on the Z Flip,
we now have a 10X digital zoom on the Z Flip 3.
Battery wise, once again, is the same,
3,300 milliampere hour battery
with 15 watt wired, 10 watt wireless,
and 4.5 watt inductive wireless charging for other devices.
Oh, and if you want a charging adapter,
no surprise here, you'll need to get one separately.
So the biggest changes on the Z Flip 3
include the larger outer display,
the higher 120 Hertz inside panel,
a more premium build with IPX8 certification
and updated processing power.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 drops on August 27th
at a starting price of $999,
which is $200 less than the starting price of the Z Flip 5G.
That brings a premium foldable device
into the thousand dollar price point.
Any questions, drop them in the comments below,
and I'll meet you there for further discussion.
Thanks for watching as always, guys.
I appreciate your support.
I'm Andrew Edwards, and I'll catch you in the next video.