Samsung Z Flip 3 - Reviews ?
Discussion
Been thinking about a new phone for a couple of months as mine, a Samsung A40 is now a couple of years old.
There is nothing wrong with the A40, I just fancy something different/new etc
I don't really like large phones so the newer A42 etc are all too big for me
Then I saw an advert on FB that I actually clicked on !! That's a 1st !
It was for the Samsung Z Flip 3. I've been into a shop since then and had a look at it.
I rather like it ! It may be 900£ but by the time I claim the vat/tax right off etc then the reality is it's costing me less than 500£, which is acceptable as a one off purchase.
Anyone on here have one ? What are your thoughts about it ?
Arf
There is nothing wrong with the A40, I just fancy something different/new etc
I don't really like large phones so the newer A42 etc are all too big for me
Then I saw an advert on FB that I actually clicked on !! That's a 1st !
It was for the Samsung Z Flip 3. I've been into a shop since then and had a look at it.
I rather like it ! It may be 900£ but by the time I claim the vat/tax right off etc then the reality is it's costing me less than 500£, which is acceptable as a one off purchase.
Anyone on here have one ? What are your thoughts about it ?
Arf
I don't own one but have handled a friends handset, I considered it but decided on a Galaxy S21 instead as I do like larger phones.
For me the flip was too thick when closed up so was extra bulk in my pocket which I wasn't keen on, also I noticed even with the handset open and in use I could still see the hold on the screen which I didn't like, it's all personal preference though really
For me the flip was too thick when closed up so was extra bulk in my pocket which I wasn't keen on, also I noticed even with the handset open and in use I could still see the hold on the screen which I didn't like, it's all personal preference though really
I’ve got one, had it since it came out (a few months now) and I really like it. I was tired of phones getting bigger and bigger and falling out of my pocket (especially between the seat and centre console in the car!!).
Good things:
+ Looks and feels nice
+ Good processor, same as the S21 I believe, so flagship specs in a small package
+ perfect size for the pocket, don’t really notice the extra thickness
+ Folding mechanism feels really solid (which I was worried about being a weak point)
+ Who doesn’t like answering and ending calls with a flip (90’s style
)
+ Samsung software is decent and the tweaks they have made for the flip screen are good (multitasking on the two halves etc)
+ Taking pictures without opening is great, selfies etc.
+ The screen on the outside is really useful and half the time I can just look at that rather than opening it. You can do a few minor things like alarms, weather, notifications etc. as well as photo/video selfies.
Bad things:
- Battery life. I’m not going to mess about here; it’s s
t. Make sure you have chargers around if you use your phone a lot
- Samsung OS isn’t as good as the stock Android you get on Google, in my opinion, as you still have to use Samsung bloatware for some stuff, though if you’re coming from a Samsung you’ll be used to that.
- I suppose you could say the fold in the screen. I think it’s absolutely fine, and certainly you get used to it and it sort of ‘disappears’ after a while, but it’s probably the thing most people comment on when they see the phone (in the absence of actually having used it). I don’t really think it’s a minus point to be honest but it’s noteworthy.
- Camera not as good as the flagship cameras, but plenty good enough for a phone. I’m a camera guy so 9 times out of 10 I’ll be using a proper camera, but you know what they say, the best camera is the one you’ve got with you…
Basically in conclusion I really like that they haven’t skimped on specs to make a folding phone; this really is a top spec phone in a small package which is exactly what I was after. I thought it might be a bit of a novelty I would tire of but I haven’t yet. The battery is acceptable as I have a charger at home, car and work for some extra juice every now and then, but it won’t get you through the day without charging. I really like the fold down form factor rather than the fold-out of the Fold.
That’s all I can think of for now. I may go back to a Pixel or similar next time round because I like the stock Android and fast updates, but I’ll be interested to see what happens next with this type of phone.
Good things:
+ Looks and feels nice
+ Good processor, same as the S21 I believe, so flagship specs in a small package
+ perfect size for the pocket, don’t really notice the extra thickness
+ Folding mechanism feels really solid (which I was worried about being a weak point)
+ Who doesn’t like answering and ending calls with a flip (90’s style
)+ Samsung software is decent and the tweaks they have made for the flip screen are good (multitasking on the two halves etc)
+ Taking pictures without opening is great, selfies etc.
+ The screen on the outside is really useful and half the time I can just look at that rather than opening it. You can do a few minor things like alarms, weather, notifications etc. as well as photo/video selfies.
Bad things:
- Battery life. I’m not going to mess about here; it’s s
t. Make sure you have chargers around if you use your phone a lot- Samsung OS isn’t as good as the stock Android you get on Google, in my opinion, as you still have to use Samsung bloatware for some stuff, though if you’re coming from a Samsung you’ll be used to that.
- I suppose you could say the fold in the screen. I think it’s absolutely fine, and certainly you get used to it and it sort of ‘disappears’ after a while, but it’s probably the thing most people comment on when they see the phone (in the absence of actually having used it). I don’t really think it’s a minus point to be honest but it’s noteworthy.
- Camera not as good as the flagship cameras, but plenty good enough for a phone. I’m a camera guy so 9 times out of 10 I’ll be using a proper camera, but you know what they say, the best camera is the one you’ve got with you…
Basically in conclusion I really like that they haven’t skimped on specs to make a folding phone; this really is a top spec phone in a small package which is exactly what I was after. I thought it might be a bit of a novelty I would tire of but I haven’t yet. The battery is acceptable as I have a charger at home, car and work for some extra juice every now and then, but it won’t get you through the day without charging. I really like the fold down form factor rather than the fold-out of the Fold.
That’s all I can think of for now. I may go back to a Pixel or similar next time round because I like the stock Android and fast updates, but I’ll be interested to see what happens next with this type of phone.
Jamescrs said:
I don't own one but have handled a friends handset, I considered it but decided on a Galaxy S21 instead as I do like larger phones.
For me the flip was too thick when closed up so was extra bulk in my pocket which I wasn't keen on, also I noticed even with the handset open and in use I could still see the hold on the screen which I didn't like, it's all personal preference though really
The Z flip is larger than the S21?For me the flip was too thick when closed up so was extra bulk in my pocket which I wasn't keen on, also I noticed even with the handset open and in use I could still see the hold on the screen which I didn't like, it's all personal preference though really
JagYouAre said:
I’ve got one, had it since it came out (a few months now) and I really like it. I was tired of phones getting bigger and bigger and falling out of my pocket (especially between the seat and centre console in the car!!).
Good things:
+ Looks and feels nice
+ Good processor, same as the S21 I believe, so flagship specs in a small package
+ perfect size for the pocket, don’t really notice the extra thickness
+ Folding mechanism feels really solid (which I was worried about being a weak point)
+ Who doesn’t like answering and ending calls with a flip (90’s style)
+ Samsung software is decent and the tweaks they have made for the flip screen are good (multitasking on the two halves etc)
+ Taking pictures without opening is great, selfies etc.
+ The screen on the outside is really useful and half the time I can just look at that rather than opening it. You can do a few minor things like alarms, weather, notifications etc. as well as photo/video selfies.
Bad things:
- Battery life. I’m not going to mess about here; it’s st. Make sure you have chargers around if you use your phone a lot
- Samsung OS isn’t as good as the stock Android you get on Google, in my opinion, as you still have to use Samsung bloatware for some stuff, though if you’re coming from a Samsung you’ll be used to that.
- I suppose you could say the fold in the screen. I think it’s absolutely fine, and certainly you get used to it and it sort of ‘disappears’ after a while, but it’s probably the thing most people comment on when they see the phone (in the absence of actually having used it). I don’t really think it’s a minus point to be honest but it’s noteworthy.
- Camera not as good as the flagship cameras, but plenty good enough for a phone. I’m a camera guy so 9 times out of 10 I’ll be using a proper camera, but you know what they say, the best camera is the one you’ve got with you…
Basically in conclusion I really like that they haven’t skimped on specs to make a folding phone; this really is a top spec phone in a small package which is exactly what I was after. I thought it might be a bit of a novelty I would tire of but I haven’t yet. The battery is acceptable as I have a charger at home, car and work for some extra juice every now and then, but it won’t get you through the day without charging. I really like the fold down form factor rather than the fold-out of the Fold.
That’s all I can think of for now. I may go back to a Pixel or similar next time round because I like the stock Android and fast updates, but I’ll be interested to see what happens next with this type of phone.
That's really helpful - thanks ! I reckon I'll give it another month or so for Xmas etc to be out of the way and it may come down in price a little.Good things:
+ Looks and feels nice
+ Good processor, same as the S21 I believe, so flagship specs in a small package
+ perfect size for the pocket, don’t really notice the extra thickness
+ Folding mechanism feels really solid (which I was worried about being a weak point)
+ Who doesn’t like answering and ending calls with a flip (90’s style
)+ Samsung software is decent and the tweaks they have made for the flip screen are good (multitasking on the two halves etc)
+ Taking pictures without opening is great, selfies etc.
+ The screen on the outside is really useful and half the time I can just look at that rather than opening it. You can do a few minor things like alarms, weather, notifications etc. as well as photo/video selfies.
Bad things:
- Battery life. I’m not going to mess about here; it’s s
t. Make sure you have chargers around if you use your phone a lot- Samsung OS isn’t as good as the stock Android you get on Google, in my opinion, as you still have to use Samsung bloatware for some stuff, though if you’re coming from a Samsung you’ll be used to that.
- I suppose you could say the fold in the screen. I think it’s absolutely fine, and certainly you get used to it and it sort of ‘disappears’ after a while, but it’s probably the thing most people comment on when they see the phone (in the absence of actually having used it). I don’t really think it’s a minus point to be honest but it’s noteworthy.
- Camera not as good as the flagship cameras, but plenty good enough for a phone. I’m a camera guy so 9 times out of 10 I’ll be using a proper camera, but you know what they say, the best camera is the one you’ve got with you…
Basically in conclusion I really like that they haven’t skimped on specs to make a folding phone; this really is a top spec phone in a small package which is exactly what I was after. I thought it might be a bit of a novelty I would tire of but I haven’t yet. The battery is acceptable as I have a charger at home, car and work for some extra juice every now and then, but it won’t get you through the day without charging. I really like the fold down form factor rather than the fold-out of the Fold.
That’s all I can think of for now. I may go back to a Pixel or similar next time round because I like the stock Android and fast updates, but I’ll be interested to see what happens next with this type of phone.
I have 2 sims but one is an esim. No way of having two physical sims so i have esim for personal and physical for work.
Batrery life is ok for me, was really poor whilst it adjusted initially but i now charge once a day. Would still take a battery pack with me for charging if out and about though.
Batrery life is ok for me, was really poor whilst it adjusted initially but i now charge once a day. Would still take a battery pack with me for charging if out and about though.
So I ordered a "bespoke" Z Flip 3 from the Samsung website as a business customer
I chose a non standard blue finish with chrome bezel
After business discount this came in at £950 inc vat
When I went to purchase they then offered 0% credit for 12 months (10% down and the rest split over 11 payments)
So I took it :-)
Delivery is however 4-5 weeks for the "bespoke" phones ..
Looking forward to that arriving !!
I chose a non standard blue finish with chrome bezel
After business discount this came in at £950 inc vat
When I went to purchase they then offered 0% credit for 12 months (10% down and the rest split over 11 payments)
So I took it :-)
Delivery is however 4-5 weeks for the "bespoke" phones ..
Looking forward to that arriving !!
So my Z Flip 3 "Custom" turned up earlier this week
I LOVE it ... My 1st "premium" phone really and it's ace ! For years I've only ever bothered buying the lower range phones and this only crossed my radar as everything is too damn big (and god forbit I actually clicked on a FB advert!!)
I note the comments about battery life but in my use case (others may differ) I'm charging it to 100% when I start work (WFH) at about 0700 and it's fully charged by 0745. The next morning it's at about 50%. I've not used it for Maps directions yet while driving but I'd suspect that will require it being on charge in the car in order to last a whole day out somewhere. Not the end of the world really. I don't play games, watch movies or play music on phones anyhow, so for me it's fine.
Use of the cover screen for selfies (12mp x 2 cameras) works a treat as to split use so can use say Google on the bottom of the phone and Teams on the top at the same time (phone at 45 deg)
In the end my Custom phone was £1049 minus 10% Samsung business discount (they check your co house reg and vat). The month down and 11 0% interest works for me and I get the VAT off each payment. I guess I'll write it off over 2 years in the accounts so reality is that in real world money it's probably cost me less than £500 total.
Personally I'd recommend the phone .. !
I LOVE it ... My 1st "premium" phone really and it's ace ! For years I've only ever bothered buying the lower range phones and this only crossed my radar as everything is too damn big (and god forbit I actually clicked on a FB advert!!)
I note the comments about battery life but in my use case (others may differ) I'm charging it to 100% when I start work (WFH) at about 0700 and it's fully charged by 0745. The next morning it's at about 50%. I've not used it for Maps directions yet while driving but I'd suspect that will require it being on charge in the car in order to last a whole day out somewhere. Not the end of the world really. I don't play games, watch movies or play music on phones anyhow, so for me it's fine.
Use of the cover screen for selfies (12mp x 2 cameras) works a treat as to split use so can use say Google on the bottom of the phone and Teams on the top at the same time (phone at 45 deg)
In the end my Custom phone was £1049 minus 10% Samsung business discount (they check your co house reg and vat). The month down and 11 0% interest works for me and I get the VAT off each payment. I guess I'll write it off over 2 years in the accounts so reality is that in real world money it's probably cost me less than £500 total.
Personally I'd recommend the phone .. !
I said above the battery life is appalling. I've since rectified that. I don't have 5G coverage nearby, so set the zflip3 to 4G or lower. Constant searching for 5G and never finding it was draining the battery. I suspect this trick will work for any 5G handset in a 4G only area.
In the recent storms the local cell tower was taken out completely for a few days, and we had no coverage at all. Again, battery life dropped like a stone as the phone constantly searched for signal.
Might be a useful tip for somebody.
The camera definitely isn't the best, but I'm otherwise loving the phone, and wouldn't want to go back to a non folding handset.
In the recent storms the local cell tower was taken out completely for a few days, and we had no coverage at all. Again, battery life dropped like a stone as the phone constantly searched for signal.
Might be a useful tip for somebody.
The camera definitely isn't the best, but I'm otherwise loving the phone, and wouldn't want to go back to a non folding handset.
Mark Asread said:
I said above the battery life is appalling. I've since rectified that. I don't have 5G coverage nearby, so set the zflip3 to 4G or lower. Constant searching for 5G and never finding it was draining the battery. I suspect this trick will work for any 5G handset in a 4G only area.
In the recent storms the local cell tower was taken out completely for a few days, and we had no coverage at all. Again, battery life dropped like a stone as the phone constantly searched for signal.
Might be a useful tip for somebody.
The camera definitely isn't the best, but I'm otherwise loving the phone, and wouldn't want to go back to a non folding handset.
Useful - thanks. I have a Vodafone anything unlimited anywhere sim only but it's not 5g. I don't need that anyhow based on my usage so I'll see if it helps if I turn it offIn the recent storms the local cell tower was taken out completely for a few days, and we had no coverage at all. Again, battery life dropped like a stone as the phone constantly searched for signal.
Might be a useful tip for somebody.
The camera definitely isn't the best, but I'm otherwise loving the phone, and wouldn't want to go back to a non folding handset.
Must say I like the use of the cover screen and the dual cameras for selfie and the palm gesture for a photo countdown ...
Also meant to add I only ordered the 128Gb phone ... but they sent me a 256 (not that I'll ever fill it ...)
Folding phones are the way forward !!
ta
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