Samsung’s Unpacked event, which took place on August 11th, introduced us to the newest generation of foldable phones that the OEM has had in the works for the past year. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 bring new matte color schemes, IPX8 water resistance, the powerful Snapdragon 888, and other improvements. But the list of similarities kind of ends there as their designs and possible usage scenarios are quite different. In this article, we’ll pit the Z Flip 3 against the Z Fold 3 to give you a clear idea of how they vary and which one of them you should consider buying.

To start you off, the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are now available for pre-order, with sales starting from August 27th, and they retail for $1,799.99 and $999, respectively.

Design

z fold 3 and z flip 3 color options

Although they’re both folding phones and open to give access to large screens, the way they go about it is quite different. The Z Flip 3 is like the flip phones of the past, while the Z Fold 3 mimics a book. You can find more information about their displays ahead in this article, so for now, let’s focus on the remainder of the build.

Both phones use Gorilla Glass Victus for their outer glass components and feature an aluminum frame that Samsung calls Armor Aluminum, claiming it’s ten percent harder than the material used on the last generation.

Focusing on other aspects, they both feature a USB-C port along the bottom edge (on the right half of Z Fold 3), with their respective volume rockers and power button with an embedded fingerprint sensor along the right-hand side.

Lastly, speaking of available colors, you can find the Z Fold 3 in three options, Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Green. On the other hand, in most markets, the Z Flip 3 will be available in Cream, Black, Lavender, and Green. But Samsung’s website will also feature White, Pink, and Gray color schemes exclusively.

Display

z fold 3 display with s pen

Now turning your focus to the displays, the Z Fold 3 features a 6.2-inch 120Hz Infinity-O AMOLED panel on the front, that when unfolded, gives access to a 7.6 inch 120Hz AMOLED screen with an under-display camera. The Z Flip 3, in comparison, features a 1.9 inch AMOLED screen on the front and unfolds vertically to give access to a 6.7 inch AMOLED Infinity Flex panel with a hole punch for the selfie camera.

Both phones feature a new protective film Samsung claims offers 80 percent better durability than the one they shipped last year.

Amongst other differences, the Galaxy Fold 3 also supports the use of an S-Pen for input.

Camera

z fold 3 and z flip 3 design

For camera optics, both devices ship with different configurations but have very similar sensors present. The Z Flip 3 has a dual rear camera system which consists of a 12MP Wide and 12MP Ultra-wide. The wide lens here captures pixels of 1.4 microns in size, whereas the Ultrawide captures those which measure in at 1.12 microns. The front camera (on the inside) uses a 10MP sensor.

The Z Fold 3 features a triple camera system that includes a 12MP ultrawide sensor (with a pixel size similar to the Z Flip 3), a 12MP wide, and a 12MP telephoto. The front camera on the cover display is a 10MP sensor, and its under-display sensor is a 4MP unit.

Processor and Battery

snapdragon 888 phone in hand

Powering both phones is the Snapdragon 888, which offers a 25 percent CPU and 35 percent GPU improvement over the previous generation chipset and is coupled with 12GB of RAM on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and 8GB on the Z Flip 3. This means these phones ship with enough power to keep your requirements satisfied. Although the larger body of the Z Fold may allow it to run cooler when compared to the Z Flip 3.

Supporting all the hardware on these phones are cells that use a dual-battery design. The total capacity of the Z Fold 3 is 4400mAh, whereas the Z Flip 3 has a 3300mAh unit. Both phones also support wireless and reverse wireless charging, although it is limited to 10W and 4.5W, respectively. If you prefer a wired configuration, the Z Fold 3 can make use of 25W of power, while the Z Flip 3 is limited to 15W.

Picking between Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3

So while their premise is similar, both of these devices are very different. If you need a smaller and more compact phone that doesn’t skimp on power, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the perfect option to consider. But if you’re looking for a productivity-based smartphone and tend to work off of it, then the larger screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 — now with support for S-Pen — might be the one for you.

But in case you’re worried about damaging the device, make sure to check out Samsung Care+, an extended warranty service that offers free repairs for accidental damage. The plan will cost $3.99, $8.99, or $11.99 per month depending on the device you buy it for, so make sure to keep an eye out to find out how much you’ll be paying.

If you decide to pick the Galaxy Z Flip 3, make sure to check out our deals page for the device and this list of available case options. We also have similar articles for the larger phone, which you can find by checking out the Galaxy Z Fold 3 tag.

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 28
    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

    The Galaxy Z Fold 3 now features a more compact and water-resistant design making it closer than ever to a traditional smartphone in terms of mainstream features.

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 57
    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

    The Z Flip 3 is a compact device that expands to give you a traditional smartphone-like experience. With a starting price of $999, it's a device worth picking up if you're interested in folding phones and want to experience one without many compromises.