Samsung announced the latest additions to its foldable lineup today – the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3. So, what’s the difference?
The Z Fold 3 is the successor to Samsung’s first foldable line, comprising 2019’s Galaxy Fold and 2020’s Z Fold 2, while the Z Flip 3 follows 2020’s Z Flip and Z Flip 5G, with Samsung opting to skip the number 2 to put the foldable more in line with its Fold line.
With Samsung releasing two similarly named foldable lines on the same day, it could prove tough to decide which of the two you should opt for. We’ve put together this guide to the biggest similarities and the differences between the Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3.
Pricing and availability
The Z Flip 3 is the more affordable of the two devices by a significant sum.
It’s priced at £949/€1049, while Z Fold 3 will cost you £1599/€1799, making the Flip 3 £650/€750 cheaper. You’ll have to keep reading to find out what that additional £650 gets you.
Both foldables are available from August 27.
Screen and Design
- Both the cover display and the main display on the Fold 3 are larger
- Both phones are more durable than their predecessors
- The Flip 3 comes in a larger array of colours
Both the Fold 3 and the Flip 3 have two screens, boast foldable display technology (of course), and are more durable than their respective predecessors. However, their designs are still the most obvious ways in which they differ from one another.
The Fold 3 features a large 6.2-inch HD+ dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex cover screen with a resolution of 2268 x 832 and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. This folds out to reveal an even bigger, tablet-like 7.6-inch QXGA+ dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex display with a resolution of 2208 x 1768 and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
The Flip 3, on the other hand, has a smaller 1.9-inch Super AMOLED cover screen with a resolution of 260 x 512 reserved for notifications and widgets. This folds out into a more standard phone-sized 6.7-inch FHD+ dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex display with a 2640 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
The Fold 3 also has a bigger body at 67.1 x 158.2 x 16mm folded, and 128.1 x 158.2 x 6.4mm unfolded, and hence weighs more than the Flip 3 at 271g. The Flip 3 measures 72.2 x 86.4 x 17.1mm folded and 72.2 x 166 x 6.9mm unfolded and weighs just 183g.
Both the devices are more durable than their predecessors , coming with a water-resistance rating of IPX8 (a world first for foldables), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and Samsung’s strongest Armor Aluminium frame.
The Fold 3 features a fingerprint sensor and face-recognition technology, while the Flip 3 only includes a side fingerprint sensor. The Fold 3 also includes support for Samsung’s S Pen, with the S Pen Fold Edition and the S Pen Pro both compatible with the smartphone.
As far as colours options go, the Fold 3 is available in Phantom Black, Phantom Green and Phantom Silver, while the Flip 3 comes in seven colours including Cream, Green, Lavender, Phantom Black, Gray, White and Pink.
Specs and camera
- Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 888
- The Fold 3 packs more RAM and storage
- The Fold 3 has a triple camera, while the Flip 3 only has a dual camera
Both the Fold 3 and the Flip 3 are powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 processor, support LTE and 5G connectivity, and run Android 11 out of the box.
The biggest difference when it comes to specs is RAM and storage. The Fold 3 comes with 12GB of RAM and 256/512GB of storage, while the Flip 3 has a lower 8GB of RAM and 128/256GB of storage.
The other big difference is the camera. The Fold 3 packs five cameras in total, while the Flip 3 includes just three.
The Fold 3 features a triple rear camera with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide (f/2.2) sensor, a 12-megapixel wide-angle (f/1.8) sensor with Dual Pixel AF and OIS, and a 12-megapixel telephoto (/2.4) sensor with OIS, 2x optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom. There’s also a 10-megapixel (f/2.2) cover camera on the outer screen and 4-megapixel (f/1.8) under display camera on the larger fold-out screen.
The Flip 3 includes a dual rear camera with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide (f/2.2) sensor and a 12-megapixel wide-angle (f1.8) sensor with Dual Pixel AF and OIS. There’s also a 10-megapixel (f/2.4) selfie camera on the front.
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Battery life
- The Fold 3 has a bigger battery
The Fold 3 has the larger dual battery of the two at 4400mAh, while the Flip 3 features a 3300mAh dual battery.
Early verdict
The biggest differences between these two foldables are their prices, their designs and their cameras.
For £650 more than the Z Flip 3, the Z Fold 3 offers larger displays, more RAM and storage, and two additional cameras, including a telephoto lens. The Z Fold 3 also packs a bigger battery and is compatible with Samsung’s S Pen.
That said, if you’d rather save some cash, the Z Flip 3 offers the same chipset, a 120Hz foldable screen, a more pocket-sized design and a larger array of colours for significantly less.
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
