Samsung has shown off its two latest folding phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. Which one should you buy? We found out.<\/b>
\nThere was a time when a bendy phone really wasn\u2019t a good thing \u2014 Bendgate, anyone? But Samsung has changed the rules, and the two most impressive phones in the world right now are a pair with a big ol\u2019 bend in the middle of their main displays. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are here, and they\u2019re rewriting the rules. If you want to sample the future, then Samsung\u2019s latest phones are your best pick for a new phone. But of course, there being two means there\u2019s a choice to make, so should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or the Galaxy Z Flip 3? Thankfully, these two are very different phones in a lot of ways, and we\u2019re going to explore both of them and their differences. This is easily the most important category to go into for both of these phones, as the folding mechanism is probably the most exciting element for any buyer. While both phones share a lot of similarities, there are a lot of differences to be had too. The Fold 3 is the larger of the two devices, by a large stretch, thanks to its book-like fold. Unfolded, it sports a 7.6-inch AMOLED display, running a 2,208 x 1,768 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate. The size of it can\u2019t be understated \u2014 it\u2019s a tablet-sized display hidden within a phone. The cover screen is a 6.2-inch AMOLED 120Hz panel with a 2,268 x 832 resolution. It\u2019s narrower than a regular phone but still very clear, colorful, and everything you\u2019d want from a phone screen. The Flip 3 takes a different approach to the folding formula with a clamshell fold. The inner display is a 6.7-inch 2,640 x 1,080 AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It\u2019s not as wide as the Fold 3\u2019s screen and is definitely a more regular phone screen (aside from the bending), but it\u2019s clear, crisp, and colorful. The cover screen is much smaller, being more keyed toward notifications and basic information, like the weather. It sports a 260 x 512 resolution and measures just 1.9 inches. Aside from the strong physical differences, the two devices are somewhat similar. Both have an IPX8 rating for water resistance, stronger Gorilla Glass Victus glass, and an improved hinge that\u2019s even better at keeping out the small particles that spelled disaster for the first Galaxy Fold. So on paper, the Fold 3\u2019s larger screens and bigger specs mean it wins, right? Well, not really. While the Fold 3\u2019s tablet-like display is excellent and very useful once you get used to it, it means the phone is basically as thick as two phones when folded. That\u2019s technically also an issue for the Flip 3, except the Flip 3 comes with a smaller footprint when folded, which will attract those who don\u2019t want as large a phone in their pocket. The phone\u2019s ability to shrink down and transform into a more regular size is as strong a selling point as the Fold 3\u2019s massive display, and we think the two are at loggerheads. Picking between the two styles is going to be a personal preference. Winner: Tie These two foldable phones are flagships through and through, and that means strong flagship specs. Both have the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, which is going to be enough to keep the phone humming away happily and playing top-tier games for a long time to come. The Fold 3 does have an advantage with 12GB of RAM, and the option between 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. The Flip 3 comes with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, giving the larger device a small edge. Still, it\u2019s relatively slight. As you might expect, the larger device also comes with a much larger battery. The Fold 3 has a 4,400mAh dual battery, while the Flip 3 has a smaller 3,300mAh dual battery inside. However, the much smaller display on the Flip 3 may mean the difference doesn\u2019t translate to a big difference in battery life. But we\u2019ve not been able to test the battery capacity on either phone yet, so that supposition will have to remain to be seen. Both phones support 25W fast charging,10W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging \u2014 though it\u2019s important to note neither comes with a charger, so you\u2019ll need to buy your own, unfortunately. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 wins this one, albeit narrowly. Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 This is a tough category to judge, since we haven\u2019t yet had a chance to test either of the two phones properly, but we can make some estimations based on what we know about other Samsung camera phones and the specs on offer from both phones. The Flip 3 has the more conservative camera setup of the two phones. It has a 10-megapixel selfie camera, and a pair of 12MP lenses on the rear, one of which is a wide-angle lens. There\u2019s no telephoto lens, and the megapixel count is a little lower than you might expect for a 2021 flagship, but this, on paper, is an acceptable setup for a camera suite. We\u2019re expecting it\u2019ll create good shots, even if the phone is unlikely to land on our best camera phones list. The Fold 3 has a much larger suite of cameras. The back has a triple-lens setup with a 12MP ultra-wide lens,12MP wide-angle, and a 12MP telephoto lens. The cover has a 10MP selfie lens as well, and as if that wasn\u2019t enough, there\u2019s another selfie lens hidden in the large display too. Yes, in the display. There\u2019s a 4MP \u201cunder-display camera\u201d (UDC) underneath the main display, and while the technology is an interesting idea, it\u2019s clear from our initial observations that it\u2019s a misstep from Samsung. Frankly, it just isn\u2019t good enough in this day and age, and using the cover\u2019s 10MP selfie lens, or even the main rear camera setup (and the cover display as a viewfinder) is recommended. Still, even with this misstep, the Fold 3\u2019s camera suite is likely to be the more versatile of the two on offer, but we\u2019ll have to see how they turn out in real-world use before we can confirm this. Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 There\u2019s not a huge amount to say here, as both phones run similar versions of OneUI 3 (over Android 11), keyed to their particular shapes. As such, you\u2019re going to get a similar software experience on both \u2014 and it is good software too. OneUI has come a long way since the bad old days of TouchWiz, and it\u2019s no longer a chore to find Samsung-branded software on your device. Updates are likely to be a tad slower than you\u2019re used to, if you\u2019re coming from a Google Pixel or an iPhone, though. Still, Samsung has sped up its updates in the past couple of years, so you shouldn\u2019t be left behind by other brands by too much. You can expect to get similar update times on both of these though, so this is a tie. Winner: Tie You might have expected Samsung to call it a day and just say, \u201cHey, the phones fold, that\u2019s special enough,\u201d but it hasn\u2019t. Both phones have a 5G connection, a special feature that\u2019s rapidly becoming less and less special as time moves on. The Flip 3 makes the most of its compact folding shape with the Flex Mode, giving you hands-free photos and video streaming quickly and easily, but it\u2019s the Fold 3 that really shines where special features are concerned. The large inside screen means it\u2019s excellent for multitasking, and you can open up to three apps at the same time. Add support for the S Pen to this (but only special, Z Fold 3-supported S Pens are allowed) and you\u2019ve got a big, handy phone that\u2019s versatile and powerful in equal measure. It wins this round. Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Here\u2019s the big one \u2014 how much will the future cost you? The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the more expensive of the two, by a large amount. The basic model, with 256GB of storage, starts from $1,800. However, doubling storage will only cost an extra $100, and right now, Samsung is offering the upgrade for free as part of pre-orders, so there\u2019s no reason not to go for the upgrade. Pre-orders are currently open, and the phone will ship on August 27. Pre-orders are also open for the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and it will also ship on August 27, but the price is significantly lower. With prices starting from $1,000, it\u2019s not an unreasonable prospect for someone looking to pick up a current-generation flagship. As such, it could be the first foldable to really burst into the mainstream. While the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 will have its fans due to its smaller size and clamshell flip, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is pretty clearly the stronger of the two devices where pure specs are concerned. It has more RAM, more multitasking capabilities, and a much larger tablet-sized screen. It\u2019s the more powerful of the two, and it\u2019s clear you get a lot for your money. But does that mean you should just always buy the Fold 3? Well, not for sure. While it\u2019s clearly the more capable of the two devices, the Flip 3 is still a very powerful device, and the clamshell fold will be attractive to anyone who doesn\u2019t like the feel of a huge device in their pocket \u2014 and the Fold 3 very much is a large device. So if a smaller footprint is important, buy the Flip 3. If not, and productivity and usefulness are at the top of your list, well, you can\u2019t go wrong with the Fold 3.<\/p>\n