The newest lineup of Samsung foldable phones includes Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3, and they're flippin' amazing (pun definitely intended). All eyes are, however, set on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, as is usually the case every time a new phone in the Fold series gets released.
And we can see why that is. S Pen support, an under-display front-facing camera... This phone is carrying a lot of bleeding-edge innovations. But it's also really expensive. Starting at $1799, this is not a phone that everyone will be able to afford.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the more modest package out of the two, but we think it has a big shot at becoming Samsung's winning foldable in 2021. Here are some reasons why.
Sensible Pricing
Perhaps the most important reason that kept foldable Samsung phones as a cool novelty instead of something that was actually in people's hands was pricing. They were cool smartphones, but pricing for them meant that most people would buy a smartphone with a regular form factor rather than a foldable phone.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 launched at $1999, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G at $1449, and the 4G version of the Galaxy Z Flip retailed for $1379. While people were thrilled by the idea of all-new form factors, the steep asking price for them kept people from thinking about one too much.
The Z Fold 3 got a price drop of $200, going down to $1799. The Galaxy Z Flip 3, however, went down to $999. By all means, this is still an expensive phone, and there's no denying that. However, it's costing the same as other flagship smartphones.
Samsung's own Galaxy S21+ starts at $999, and so do phones like Apple's iPhone 12 Pro. This is the first time a foldable smartphone from Samsung starts at a price under $1000, and also the first time one of its foldable phones starts at a competitive price compared to regular flagship phones.
Furthermore, it doesn't skimp on specifications either. You get the same Snapdragon 888 CPU you'd get on other flagships, and you get the same excellent One UI software.
It means that people can now consider a foldable smartphone in their list of options while shopping for flagship phones, and buy one without paying much of a premium compared to a phone with a regular form factor.
There's finally an argument for getting a foldable phone.
Compact Form Factor
The second reason why the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is going to be a winner is the same reason why people were thrilled by its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip: its form factor.
It's a different take on a foldable screen than what you'd see from a Fold phone. The Z Fold 3 is a regular, slightly taller than average smartphone that can fold out into a 7.6-inch tablet. It's wonderful for power users and everyone who wants to get things done on their phones and would benefit from the bigger display (which is also why S Pen support is a boon for this phone).
The Galaxy Z Flip 3, however, is the 2021 version of the flip phone form factor that everyone loved in the mid-to-late 2000s. It's an easily pocketable smartphone that flips up to reveal its 6.7-inch 22:9 panel.
This is a form factor that is way more likely to sit home with more casual users, bringing a lot of the advantages of having a compact smartphone without actually having a small display.
The flip phone trend was started by a reboot of the legendary Motorola Razr by Motorola in 2019, a product that banked both on innovation and nostalgia. The original Z Flip, and now the Z Flip 3, ended up being arguably superior products in both specs and price.
Not Perfect, but Rapidly Improving
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 still has a number of growing pains and disadvantages. Battery life could be way better (especially given the phone's 120Hz refresh rate), and the camera aspect could use some improvement. However, as things stand right now, foldables have matured a lot through the past few years, and the Z Flip 3 shows it just as well as the Z Fold 3 does.
Taking this into account together with the $999 price tag, you have yourself a foldable phone that is finally an attainable and easy to recommend option for people looking for a new flagship phone, foldable or not. Samsung has its first true foldable winner in its hands—and all they had to do was making one that people will actually consider buying for a change.
Of course, one thing is speculation and the other is reality. We're yet to see whether the Z Flip 3 will be a sales success. But it's much closer to realizing that goal.