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The Galaxy Z Flip 3 got announced quite recently, and we’re here to compare it to its predecessor. Just to be clear, in this article we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G. The original Galaxy Z Flip does not offer 5G connectivity, while it has a weaker SoC than the Z Flip 5G. So it seemed only proper to compare two phones that are the closest in terms of power, and two that support 5G.
Having said that, these two phones are similar to a degree. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 does bring some notable benefits, though. One that is worth noting from the get-go is the larger cover display, but that’s just the obvious one. Down below, we’ll talk more about the differences. We’ll start things off by comparing their specifications, and will then move to the design, display, performance, battery, camera, and audio categories. Having said that, let’s compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G.
Specs
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 | |
| Screen size | Main: 6.7-inch fullHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display (foldable, 60Hz) Secondary (Cover): 1.1-inch Super AMOLED display (flat, 60Hz) |
Main: 6.7-inch fullHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display (foldable, 120Hz) Secondary (Cover): 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display (flat, 60Hz) |
| Screen resolution | Main: 2636 x 1080 Secondary (Cover): 112 x 300 |
Main: 2640 x 1080 Secondary (Cover): 260 x 512 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB (UFS 3.0), non-expandable | 128GB/256GB; non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 12MP (f/1.8 aperture, 27mm lens, 1.4um pixel size, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size, ultrawide) |
12MP (f/1.8 aperture, 27mm lens, 1.4um pixel size, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size, ultrawide) |
| Front cameras | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 26mm lens, 1.22um pixel size) | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 26mm lens, 1.22um pixel size) |
| Battery | 3,330mAh, non-removable, 15W wired charging, 9W wireless charging | 3,330mAh, non-removable, 25W wired charging, 11W wireless charging, 4.5W reverse wireless charging |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2mm Folded: 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3mm |
Unfolded: 166 x 72.2 x 6.9mm Folded: 86.4 x 72.2 x 15.9-17.1mm |
| Weight | 183 grams | 183 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Side-facing fingerprint scanner | Side-facing fingerprint scanner |
| OS | Android 10 (upgradable to Android 11) One UI 2.5 (5G) |
Android 11 One UI 3.5 |
| Price | $949 | $999.99 |
| Buy | Samsung (no longer on sale from Samsung) | Samsung |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Design
When it comes to the design, they’re quite similar from the front. The difference is immediately noticeable if you check them out from the side, or from the back. They’re both made out of metal and glass, but the Z Flip 3 looks more refined, arguably, of course. It has vertically-arranged cameras, and a separate black section in which the cameras are included in. Its cover display also sits in that section of the phone, to the right of its rear-facing cameras.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5G, on the other hand, includes vertically-aligned cameras, and its back side does not look as sleek. The Z Flip 5G features more curved sides, and it’s a bit more slippery than its sibling. Still, both phones are quite slippery, so keep that in mind. It may be a shame to cover them with a case, due to the design itself, but that may be the best idea to keep them from getting damaged, as it’s quite possible they’ll fly out of your hand at some point.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is ever-so-slightly shorter, narrower, and thinner, but only barely. The two devices do weigh the same, though, at 183 grams. They’re not too heavy, not at all, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is above and beyond them in regards to weight. Both do feel really well-made, though the Z Flip 3 does seem to be more refined in both looks and build departments, this two-tone design really suits the phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Display
These two phones have the same-sized main displays, but there are differences between them. The Galaxy Z Flip 5G includes a 6.7-inch fullHD+ (2636 x 1080) main display. That is an AMOLED panel, and it’s foldable. It does support HDR10+ content, and we’re looking at a 60Hz refresh rate display here.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3, on the other hand, offers a 6.7-inch fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This panel is also foldable, but it also offers a high refresh rate. It goes up to 120Hz, and most importantly, this display is considerably brighter than the one the Z Flip 5G offers. Both displays are flat, of course.
Now, regarding the cover displays. The Z Flip 3’s is considerably larger. The Galaxy Z Flip 5G has a 1.1-inch (300 x 112) Super AMOLED cover display. The Z Flip 3 offers a 1.9-inch 260 x 512 Super AMOLED cover display. You can do a lot more with its display, as it’s quite a bit larger. Reading notifications is actually a pleasant experience on this display, as is using special widgets made for it.
Both main displays are plenty sharp, and offer nice colors. The sheer fact the Z Flip 3’s display is considerably brighter is a huge plus here. On top of that, Samsung used a different screen overlay on the Z Flip 3, so it now actually feels good to use that screen. On the Z Flip 5G, the fingers didn’t really slide as well on the display as they should, it’s difficult to explain. Samsung did use different materials this time around, materials that are more similar to the UTG display below.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Performance
The Galaxy Z Flip 5G and Z Flip 3 both perform admirably. Over the years, Samsung really cleaned up its Android skin. It’s arguably still more bloated than it should be, but these two phones are well-optimized and quite powerful at the same time. The Z Flip 3 is more future-proof, but at the moment, both work really great. The Galaxy Z Flip 5G comes with the Snapdragon 865+ SoC, while the Z Flip 3 includes the Snapdragon 888 processor.
The Z Flip 5G comes with UFS 3.0 flash storage, compared to UFS 3.1 on the Z Flip 3, but that’s not a huge advantage at this day and age. UFS 3.0 is plenty fast, and it pushes the phone to work really well. They both do get warm when under heavy use, but not over the limit, you will never feel like you have to set them aside because of it, or anything of the sort. Well, we haven’t really been playing games for hours on them, so… that’s a whole different story.
They do great when it comes to multitasking, browsing, and consuming multimedia… basically anything you can think of, and that includes gaming. In other words, both phones perform as you’d expect. They are both high-end phones, well, more Z Flip 3 than the Z Flip 5G, at the moment, but still, chances are you won’t have issues when it comes to performance.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Battery
Both of these phones feature 3,300mAh battery packs. Now, you may think to yourself that 3,300mAh is not enough for a 6.7-inch display. Well, that is… well, true, no matter how well optimized the phone is. But… Samsung actually counts on your using the cover display, which is only 1.9 inches. The company hopes that the balance of usage will make both of these phones will serve you well throughout the day.
Well, that will depend on your usage, of course. It all depends on how you use your phone. If you’re using the main display frequently, which is kind of required for more usage types, you’ll be able to kill the battery in both phones quicker than you should. I mean, you can read notifications on the secondary display, check the weather, and so on. You cannot type on it, you cannot browse, watch videos, or anything of the sort, of course. So, you’ll be using the main display, quite probably, as we’re doing. So, I’ll just say that the battery life isn’t great. We only started using the Z Flip 3 at the time of writing this article, but first impressions are not great.
Both phones support fast charging, though the Z Flip 3 offers more in that regard. The Galaxy Z Flip 5G offers 15W wired charging, and 9W wireless charging. The Z Flip 3 supports 25W wired charging, 11W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. So, the Z Flip 3 does have a notable advantage in the charging department.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G: Cameras
Now, in regards to cameras, well… they’re the same. Samsung basically copied the Galaxy Z Flip 5G camera onto the Z Flip 3. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. That probably enabled Samsung to decrease the price tag of the device, which is not something you’ll complain about. Those cameras are quite capable to begin with. They’re not the best in the market, not at all, but not many people will have complaints when it comes to their performance.
You’re getting a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera on the back, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. A 10-megapixel camera can be found on the front. The results you can get with these cameras are good. They’re good in basically all situations. In good lighting, you’ll get crisp images, with plenty of detail, and vivid colors. Truth be said, those images will look a bit realistic, but in a good way. It all depends if you like that or not. Those cameras and belonging software will give them some flare.
In the night time, they managed to keep the noise down, though they don’t always capture a great image. The consistency is not as good in low light as it is in regular lighting, but that goes for pretty much every phone out there. Ultra-wide cameras are also good, for the most part.
Audio
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 brings one major improvement in the audio department… a second speaker. This phone has stereo speakers, one at the bottom, the other above the display (front-facing). The Z Flip 5G, on the other hand, has only one speaker. That speaker is good, but it cannot compete with a stereo speaker setup, that’s for sure. Both phones offer audio tuned by AKG, and that goes for the speakers as well.
Audio via a good pair of headphones is… well, good. You won’t have major complaints as it’s well-balanced. There’s even some bass included, and the vocals are clear enough. We don’t have any major complaints in that department.