Introduction
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 was announced alongside the Z Fold3, which is currently available for pre-order until 21 September 2021. Thankfully, I was able to get the phone earlier! Whether you are curious to know what comes in the box, have already pre-ordered the phone and are feeling exciting about it, or still deciding to pre-order or not, this is my unboxing and first impressions of the latest Samsung flip phone!
Unboxing
It seems Samsung will continue to do what the company did with the S21 Ultra. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 comes in a black box, a thin one like the S21 Ultra. The top half of the box is black, while the bottom half is grey, which clearly implies that the phone can flip in half.
Opening up the box, you’ll see the phone, which looks just like a normal phone. There’s a pull tap below for you to lift up the phone. After you lift up the phone, you’ll see another box.
Yup, just like what Samsung did with the S21 series, there’s no charging brick in the box. The box comes with the Galaxy Z Flip3 itself, SIM ejector tool, USB-C to USB-C cable, and some paperwork. Last year’s Z Flip actually comes with earphones, a charging brick, and a transparent case, if you check Samsung Malaysia’s product page here. Anyway, if you pre-order the phone, you’ll get an RM600 Samsung Online Store e-voucher, just purchase the charging brick, stylish flip case, and other accessories using the e-voucher!
First Impressions
My review unit is the Phantom Black variant, which is the only variant that comes with matte back finishing. The first thing that caught my attention was the larger 1.9-inch Super AMOLED cover display, which has a 260 x 512 resolution. Last year’s Z Flip cover was too small, not too useful and I didn’t really use it while reviewing the phone. The larger cover display on the Z Flip3 is now more useful, which works like a smartwatch.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 now features an Armor Aluminum frame to protect the hinge. It has the same Hideaway Hinge with a dual CAM mechanism, which makes every flip smoother and more stable, but still not as satisfying as those old flip phones.
The volume rocker and power button are on the right side of the phone, positioned quite high because this phone can flip. The power button also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor, you can perform swipe gestures to reveal or hide the notification panel.
Just like its predecessor, the phone will split into two screens when the device is free-standing. It can become a “tripod” on its own, and they are many fun ways to take advantage of its flip capability.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 sports a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. Yes, it now gets a high refresh rate! Making the phone feels a lot smoother when combining with the Snapdragon 888 chipset.
Not to forget that the phone is also now IPX8-rated for water resistance. The first thing I did after setting up the phone was to dunk it in the water, and it works! Last year I was still wondering how is it possible for Samsung to make a water resistance flip phone, and bam, there we have it for the Z Flip3!
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is now available for pre-order alongside the Z Fold3 until 21 September 2021. The phone retails at RM3,999 (128GB) and RM4,199 (256GB), which is a lot cheaper than last year’s Z Flip initial launch price (RM5,888). The phone is available in four color options — Cream, Phantom Black, Green, and Lavender. Each pre-order will receive a complimentary Samsung Care+ 1 Year Plan worth RM699 and a Samsung Online Store e-voucher worth RM600. You can pre-order the phone via:
- Shopee: 128GB | 256GB
- Lazada: 128GB | 256GB
- Samsung Online Store