Raising the bar on durability and dropping the price on its entry-level foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a landmark smartphone, costing less than a top-tier iPhone while delivering a foldable screen and a design that feels solid in the hand.

Feels solid and premium, IPX8 water-resistant, Steady shooting in Flex Panel mode

No telephoto camera, Last-gen 12MP camera spec, Better value imaging elsewhere

The Galaxy Z Flip3 has a powerful processor and an elegant folding design, but its portability and style come at the cost of battery life.

Flagship-level application performance, Good front-facing camera, Beautifully designed, Waterproof

Shorter battery life than other flagships, Primary cameras are just OK

Less is more with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G ($999.99), a powerful flagship phone that trades battery life for portability and style. Now in its third generation, Samsung's flexible-screen phone is now mature enough for mainstream buyers. The biggest question is whether you're willing to pay a steep price for a phone that subtly discourages you from using it. The Editors' Choice–winning Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra ($1,199.99) remains the best Android flagship if you want a phone you can use intensively all day, but the Flip3 is worth considering if you want to enjoy the world around you and spend less time staring at the screen.Making the Pivot The Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip3 make up the third generation of Samsung's folding phones. (There was no Flip2; it was called the Flip 5G.) The redesign is more radical with the Flip than the Fold. The major change is a much larger exterior display, taking up the bottom half of the closed phone. At 1.9 inches and 512 by 260 pixels,...

The Galaxy Z Flip3 has a powerful processor and an elegant folding design, but its portability and style come at the cost of battery life.

Flagship-level application performance; Good front-facing camera; Beautifully designed; Waterproof

Shorter battery life than other flagships; Primary cameras are just OK

Some ideas make sense straight away, and others need a little time to ferment: three generations in, and the Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 is a much more accessible version of foldable phones, and maybe the first time the technology feels something other than a gimmick.

Samsung's most affordable foldable phone yet, No compromise on performance, Cover Display is much more useful now

Battery life isn't great, Cameras are good, but not stand-out, Long-term durability still to be revealed

“The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the first folding smartphone most people should consider buying. It's compact, powerful, and durable, and costs about the same as its competitors. Plus, it's really fun to use.”

Samsung released two previous Z Flip models, but the second one really only added 5G to the first model. I spent months and thousands of dollars on the Galaxy Fold and then the Z Fold 2 , but never had the chance to even see a Z Flip model in person.

IPX8 water-resistant, Reasonable price, Beautiful foldable display, Functional cover display

Cameras could be better, Not easy to open with one hand, Battery life isn't the greatest

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 benefits from a series of small but meaningful improvements to Samsung’s first folding-screen flip phone that make it almost ready for the mainstream. Open it, and it behaves just like a regular, large-screen premium Android smartphone, but one you can close with a satisfying...

Pros: a great large screen that folds in half, good cover screen, screen protected when closed, IPX8 water resistant, good cameras, exciting and different, One UI 3 (Android 11) with four years of updates.

Cons: screen softer and less scratch resistant than a regular phone, no dust resistance, no telephoto camera, only a day’s battery life, expensive.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: A folding flagship for the masses: the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G is well worth the money

The cheapest folding phone yet, Durability improvements and IPX8 water-resistance, Blisteringly fast performance

Battery life could be better, Main screen still feels fragile

We haven’t reached the point where there are no sacrifices when opting for the foldable form factor, but the Galaxy Z Flip 3 gets very close. If you are willing to work around the short battery life, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 delivers a flagship phone experience unlike any other.

Unique and stunning design, Bright, vivid 120Hz display, Excellent camera performance, IPX8 water resistance, Affordably priced

Terrible battery life, Lacks telephoto

The story of folding phones thus far has been one of compromise. Choosing a folding phone over a standard slab design has generally meant you compromised on performance, durability, and most of all, price.

It folds in half, It costs the same as other high-end phones, It’s water resistant, Inside screen is as good as other premium phones

Long-term screen durability still a question, Cameras aren’t top tier, Cover screen still too small and limited, Difficult to open one-handed