After the usual torrent of leaks, Samsung has finally revealed the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and confirmed all of the main specs. The latest clamshell foldable from Samsung was extensively leaked prior to its debut, with everything from high-resolution renders and key specs making rounds in the weeks and days leading up to the Unpacked event. However, the device is finally official, and it brings a host of meaningful upgrades alongside a heavily requested design change.
Samsung's previous clamshell foldable phones had a few issues, and coupled with their exorbitant pricing, they proved to be a hard sell for many. Fragility was one 0f them. The phones lacked water resistance of any kind, the foldable panel was still weaker than a usual glass panel covered with Gorilla Glass, and the cost of repairs was a tad too high as well. More importantly, the cover display was tiny and didn't offer much in terms of functionality. Battery life was below par too, and the charging specs also left a lot to be desired.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 improves upon many of those issues. Coming to the core specifications, Samsung hasn’t done any major cost-cutting given the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s $1,000 asking price. The inner foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display panel measures 6.7-inch and offers an FHD+ (2640 x 1080 pixels) resolution, which translates to a pixel density of 425 PPI. The screen refresh rate still stands at 120Hz with adaptive tech in use to save battery life. The outer cover display now employs a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 260 x 512 pixels, offering a pixel density of 302 PPI. Interestingly, the cover display can now be used to record videos as well. Samsung says the cover display is now four times larger than the tiny secondary screen on its predecessor, just like the leaks had predicted. With the larger screen estate comes new capabilities too, as the cover display can now use special widgets for monitoring health stats, checking weather information, matching wallpapers, and using Samsung Pay.
A Worthy Upgrade, Inside And Outside
Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 employs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM. The phone is offered in two storage configurations — 128GB and 256GB. It packs a 3,300 mAh capacity battery to keep the lights on, and supports 15W fast wired charging as well as 10W fast wireless charging. The phone also supports reverse wireless charging (4.5W output), which means users can top up gadgets like wireless earbuds or a compatible Samsung smartwatch. In the imaging department, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 features a 10-megapixel snapper with an f.2/4 lens and an 80-degree wide field of view. On the back, there’s an optically stabilized 12-megapixel main snapper sitting alongside a 12-megapixel ultrawide angle camera with a 123-degree field of view. The camera supports HDR10+ video recording and automatically switches to the ultra-wide lens depending on the number of faces in the frame. Authentication is handled by a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, while contactless payments will rely on MST and NFC.
As far as aesthetics go, Samsung has gone for a two-tone design with a black bar at the top that covers the secondary display. Further improving upon the build, Samsung has used what it calls Armor Aluminum, Gorilla Glass Victus, and stronger panel layers that are touted to boost screen durability by up to 80-percent. However, the biggest upgrade on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is likely to be the IPX8 water resistance rating, which means the device can survive immersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. Color options on the table are Cream, Green, Lavender, and Phantom Black. Samsung will also be exclusively selling Gray, White, and Pink trims from its official website and outlets. Connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.1 (LE), and 5G in both Sub-6 GHz as well as mmWave flavors. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 also supports dual-SIM connectivity via the Nano-SIM + eSIM route. Lastly, Samsung has also fitted the phone with an upgraded stereo speaker with Dolby Atmos support.
Source: Samsung