Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 Is the Most Affordable Foldable Yet

At $1000, Samsung’s newly-announced Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the most affordable foldable yet. And if that’s not compelling enough, wait until you see how Samsung has improved on the Z Flip’s design and functionality—everything about the Flip 3 is stylish, its small cover screen is more than just a clock or viewfinder, and like the new Galaxy Z Fold 3, the new Flip 3 is water-resistant.

Note: Samsung announced several new products at its Unpacked event, including the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Galaxy Watch 4, and the Galaxy Buds 2. Check out our buying guide to save hundreds on your pre-order.

While the new Galaxy Z Flip 3 may look very similar to its predecessor, Samsung made some very bold design changes that are trendy and fashionable. The phone comes in Cream, Green, Lavender, and Phantom Black, with a bold two-tone design. Its outer camera module blends in with the new, larger Cover Screen, which can cycle through 15 custom wallpapers (or GIFs) or sync with your Galaxy Watch 4’s watch face.

Samsung seems to have put a lot of work into this new Cover Screen, which is four times larger (and way more useful) than previous iterations. Yeah, the Cover Screen still shows notifications and works as a selfie viewfinder, but it also works with 8 custom-made widgets, including Samsung Pay, a weather app, a step counter, and a calendar. And finally, you can shoot video from the Cover Screen!

Once you open the Galaxy Z Flip 3, you’re met with a larger 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a snappy new 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. That’s a great size for media consumption, a fact that may have pushed Samsung to add stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos support to the Flip 3.

And of course, you can partially fold the Flip 3 to activate the Flex Mode Panel feature. Mimicking a laptop’s form factor, the Flex Mode Panel cuts your screen in two, placing video on its top half and controls on the bottom. The Flex Mode Panel experience also helps when taking hands-free selfies, as you can prop the Flip 3 on a table without a tripod and take photos using voice commands.

Spec-wise, the Flip 3 features a new 5nm 64-bit Octa-Core processor and 8GB of RAM. It can connect to mmWave 5G networks and comes with either 128GB or 256GB of storage. Its external camera array packs a 12MP main lens and 12MP ultra-wide lens, while its inner hole-punch camera is just 10MP. These are great specs for a foldable, and while the cameras may seem a bit outdated on paper, they should offer performance comparable (or better than) the Galaxy S9.

Like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the new Z Flip 3 features a new Aluminum Armor hinge rated for 200k folds, plus an 80% more durable PET screen. Oddly enough the new Flip 3 and Fold 3 are water-resistant with an IPX8 certification—that’s the rating you get when your phone can dunk under three meters of water. An IPX8 rating sounds too good to be true, so we’re waiting for someone like JerryRigEverything to test Samsung’s claims.

Pre-orders for the $1000 Galaxy Z Flip 3 open today and units ship August 27th. Samsung says that everyone who pre-orders the Z Flip 3 gets a $150 credit and, for the first time ever, can trade in up to four devices to help pay for their new phone (though Samsung will only apply $500 from your trade-ins to the Flip 3). It’s worth mentioning that Samsung sells the Flip 3 in exclusive colors on its website, including Pink, White, Gray, and a limited-edition, pinstriped Thom Browne variant.