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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3

Which one should you buy?
Carly Page author headshot
Written by Carly Page, Mobiles and Tech Expert Contributor
Published on 9 March 2023
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Mobiles - reviews -  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3

What do you want to read about?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are here to rewrite the rules of foldable smartphones. So if you’re in the market for a flexible handset, you might be confused as to which one’s the best for you. Thankfully, while they both feature flexible screens, there’s plenty of differences between the two devices in terms of price, screen size, cameras, specs and more.

What do you want to read about?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are here to rewrite the rules of foldable smartphones. So if you’re in the market for a flexible handset, you might be confused as to which one’s the best for you. Thankfully, while they both feature flexible screens, there’s plenty of differences between the two devices in terms of price, screen size, cameras, specs and more.

When it comes to design, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 have some major differences. The former is a huge handset due to the fact that it doubles up as a tablet, with its main display stretching to a hefty 7.2-inches. This means you’ll struggle to squeeze it into a pocket, and we found it a little awkward to use with one hand. Its protruding camera lenses added to the overall bulk of the handset and means it won’t sit flat on a table - unless you position it screen-down.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3, however, is impressively compact. While it sports a sizable 6.7-inch main display and 1.9-inch cover display, the handset folds up into the size of a small makeup compact and tips the scales at just 184g. That means, unlike its foldable disabling, it’ll easily fit into your pocket.

In terms of screen quality, both the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 boast a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate that isn’t affected by the crease in the screen caused by the fold. What’s more, while the lesser expensive of the two handsets, the Z Flip 3 boasts the higher pixel density. It crams a resolution of 1080 x 2640 pixels (426ppi) into its main 6.7-inch screen, while the Fold 3’s 7.2-inch display has a 1768 x 2208 resolution (371ppi).

The latter comes out on top when it comes to the cover display - the Fold’s 6.2-inch screen has a resolution of 832 x 2268 pixels, while the Flip’s small 1.9-inch cover display has a 260 x 512 resolution.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3’s screen has another major benefit over the Z Flip 3. It’s the first foldable display to support Samsung’s S Pen, so you can easily doodle and make notes on the 7.2-inch screen. However, it’s worth noting that an S Pen isn’t included, so you’ll have to buy this separately.

Like most modern flagships, the two handsets are crafted from a combination of aluminium and glass, and although the Z Flip is designed to be the more affordable option, both devices feel premium in hand.

They’re durable too, both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 feature a display that’s up to 80% tougher compared to Samsung’s previous folding handsets. They also feature IPX8 water resistance so should survive splashes and rain.

In terms of colour options, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 can be picked up in Cream, Green, Lavender, and Phantom Black. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is more conservative with its three colours: Phantom Black, Phantom Green and Phantom Silver.

Winner: Draw

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: Performance and battery life

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are powered by the same Snapdragon 888 processor, so as you’d expect, both handsets are extremely nippy with no signs of slowdown. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has more RAM with 12GB under the hood, while the Z Flip 3 has just 8GB. This makes the former better at running multiple apps at once (and thanks to its masses of screen real estate, it can run up to three at the same time).

The Z Fold 3 also comes out on top when it comes to storage, packing 256GB as standard with a 512GB model also on offer. The Galaxy Z Flip 3, on the other hand, ships with 128GB as standard, with a 256GB option also available. You can also spring for a 512GB model.

The biggest difference between the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 in the performance-stakes is in terms of battery and charging speed. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 packs a 4,400mAh battery, which we found will easily make it through a full day. The Galaxy Z Flip 3, however, has a considerably smaller 3,300 mAh battery, and failed to match its more expensive sibling in the longevity stakes.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has an advantage when it comes to charging too, with the foldable supporting 25W charging - the Z Flip 3 maxes out at just 15W.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: Cameras

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are also world’s apart when it comes to their photography credentials. The former packs a triple-lens rear camera setup that includes 12MP wide, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses, with support for 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. It also features a 10MP selfie camera up front, plus a 4MP under-display camera at the top right corner of the 7.6-inch display.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 packs dual 12MP cameras: a wide-angle lens and ultra-wide lens with a 123-degree field of view. Like its more expensive sibling, there’s a 10MP selfie camera around the front.

While the latter lacks the telephoto prowess of the Galaxy Z Fold 3, both handsets are fairly evenly matched when it comes to picture quality. While the Fold tends to produce slightly sharper images with less noise, both are capable of snapping natural looking images in natural sunlight, and it’s too close to call an overall winner.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is clearly the better camera phone when it comes to low-light imagery. Compared to its sibling, the handset produced cleaner, sharper images in low lighting, and images that are less washed out by ambient light sources.

In terms of selfie images, we preferred the Galaxy Z Flip due to its innovative design. The fold in the centre of the handset allows you to prop it up for hands-free shots. While it’s not the crispest front facing camera we’ve ever tested, this unique feature is sure to appeal to keen Instagram fans and influencers alike.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: What’s in the box?

Samsung has once again carried its tradition of not including a wall charger or any accessories in the packaging of its smartphones, which means the contents of the two boxes is pretty sparse. For both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3, you’ll find only a USB-C to USB-C cable, a sim ejection tool, and documentation.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: Verdict

Although both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3 sit within Samsung’s foldable lineup, there are major differences between the two, from the handset’s chunky vs compact designs to the phones’ triple and dual rear camera setups. Another big difference is the smartphones’ prices: the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will set you back some £1,699 SIM-free, while the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is available from £949.00.

While the more expensive beat out its cheaper sibling in most of our categories, that’s because you’re paying a premium for the bigger-screened device, and it’s clear the two foldables have different markets in mind.

If you’re after a high-performance foldable that will double-up as a tablet, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the device for you. However, if you’re looking for a pocketable foldable that will help you to soup-up your selfie game, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the better choice.