Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 release date, price, specs and leaks
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 will soon be upon us, with Samsung setting a date for its next Unpacked product launch and even confirming that new generations of its foldable phones are on the way. And it's looking like Samsung is skipping a number this time around, counting the Galaxy Z Flip 5G as the second generation of the clamshell foldable.
It's been more than a year since the first Galaxy Z Flip arrived, and that's increased anticipation for a successor — with the rumor mill stoking the fires for a Galaxy Z Flip 3 release.
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Each day seems to bring new details about the next Galaxy Z Flip in advance of the August 11 Galaxy Unpacked event. Here's what we know so about the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 news (Updated August 7)
- A massive Galaxy Z Flip 3 brochure leak has just revealed all the of biggest upgrades and new features ahead of the launch event.
- After setting a date for its next Galaxy Unpacked on August 11, a Samsung executive confirmed that new foldable phones will be the focus of the event.
- Evan Blass has posted specs for the Galaxy Z Flip.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 release date
Mark your calendar — Samsung is holding a product launch on August 11. And it's pretty clear what's being announced there based on comments from T.M. Roh, the head of Samsung's mobile business. "I’m excited to say our third generation of foldable devices will open up amazing new multitasking capabilities and enhanced durability for even more people around the world," Roh said.
So mark it down — we'll see a Galaxy Z Flip 3 on August 11.
That date turns out to be in line with rumors about when the new Samsung foldable phones would launch. (The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is also all but certain debuting at the August 11 event.) As for ship dates, leaker Jon Prosser claims his sources have the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 will go on sale August 27.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 price
At this moment, we don’t know anything about pricing for the Galaxy Z Flip 3. However, Samsung could be looking at cutting the price compared to the original, as reported by SamMobile. We could see up to a 20% decrease in pricing for both foldables this year.
The original Galaxy Z Flip cost $1,380 in the US/£1,300 in the UK. A 5G version followed for $1,449, but Samsung has since cut the price on that version by $250 to $1,199. A previous leak from leaker FrontTron said that the Z Flip 3 could land somewhere between $999 to $1099, for what we assume would be the base model.
Another rumor from FrontTron themselves claimed that the Z Flip 3 would cost $1,249 for a model with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage.
Meanwhile a rumor hosted on Korean blogging service Naver claims that the phone will cost between 1.2 million and 1.28 million won, which works out to somewhere between $1,050 and $1,120
That could signal a push by Samsung to offer foldables at lower prices, increasing their appeal. Whether this will apply to the larger Z Fold family is another matter, and how accurate these rumors actually are.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 design
Design details about the Galaxy Z Flip 3 are starting to emerge. We've always assumed the phone will once again be a clamshell foldable. That means the hinge is on the horizontal x-axis, versus the Fold’s vertical y-axis. This obviously takes some of us back to the days of flip phones, and there’s a lot of nostalgia there.
Another Galaxy Z Flip 3 design rumor suggests that Samsung is working on ways to make its foldable phones more durable. A patent describes a new "Armor frame" that Samsung might use in future versions of both the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold.
A leaked Galaxy Z Flip 3 brochure mentions a bunch of durability improvements. One is an IPX8 rating, which means the phone can withstand being in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. In addition, the main screen's Ultra Thin Glass is reportedly 80% more durable than before, thanks to the "addition of a panel layer and protective film." Last but not least, the brochure says the Z Flip 3 has Samsung's "strongest aluminum frame yet."
Leaked photos reportedly showing off the Galaxy Z Flip 3 confirm that the clamshell design is returning. But Samsung could be making a modest change, introducing a two-tone design reminiscent of Google's Pixel phones.
In these images from YouTuber @TheGalox_, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a black bar that houses the phone's dual camera setup and its secondary screen. Below that bar, you'll find different colors. The leaked images show off the Galaxy Z Flip 3 with beige, gray, dark green and light violet shades. Leaker Ice Universe claims those are the Galaxy Z Flip 3's four colors.
That squares with previous leaks about the Galaxy Z Flip 3 color options. Display expert Ross Young tweeted that there are other colors in the mix — specifically black, dark blue, white and pink.
Evan Blass recently posted an image on Twitter containing what appears to the be the Galaxy Z Flip 3. It looks like an official render, possibly one Samsung will use to announce and/or market the upcoming phone. In it, we can see a larger outer display, a vertical camera array much like the Galaxy S21, and a two-tone design.
A leaked brochure of the
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 specs
With the Galaxy Z Flip 3 close to appearing, specs are starting to appear for the new foldable phone, especially pertaining to its screen. Leaker Evan Blass tweeted out the Galaxy Z Flip 3's specs — a 6.7-inch internal display along with a 1.9-inch external display for notifications. That interior display is unchanged from the original Galaxy Z Flip, though the external screen is a slight increase.
SamMobile says that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will have possibly have 128GB and 256GB storage options. The site also claims that the new clamshell foldable will come with One UI 3.5, a new version of Samsung's Android skin. For reference, One UI 3.1 debuted with the Galaxy S21.
Leaks from Safety Korea, 3C, and DEKRA suggest that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will have a roughly 3,300 mAh battery capacity, the same as its predecessor. The battery capacity, split between 2,370 mAh and 903 mAh cells, will hopefully go for longer than the original Z Flip.
We anticipate that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will feature high-end specs to make the likely high price worth it. At the moment, that would be a Snapdragon 888 processor, though it's possible Samsung could have another chipset in mind. Galaxy Z Fold 3 rumors point to a Snapdragon 888 powering that phone for what it's worth.
Other features rumored include IPX8 water resistance, which is a first for Samsung foldables. Blass expects dual 12MP cameras and a 10MP selfie camera. Sadly those last two are the same specs as the Z Flip 5G, so hopefully we'll get some extra upgrades happening behind the scenes.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: What we’d like to see
With any new product, there are some things we’d like to see fixed from the previous generation. The first Galaxy Z Flip was a cool concept, but it needs work in some areas. We’d like to see the Galaxy Z Flip 3 make the following improvements.
Better battery life: This was a big problem with the first Galaxy Z Flip. The 3,300 mAh cell just wasn’t enough to keep things powered for very long. Though it fared a whole lot better than the Motorola Razr on our battery test, it still fell below the average for smartphones with its result of 8 hours and 16 minutes. If the Galaxy Z Flip 3 sees a bigger battery, we’d hope that runtime improves.
More affordable: Though rumors say we might get a Galaxy Z Flip Lite or something similar, we’d still like to see the Galaxy Z Flip 3 be more affordable. The concept is cool and this tech is expensive, but what would the Galaxy Z Flip 3 offer over the $1,199 Galaxy S21 Ultra? That’s a question Samsung will have to ask itself (and probably is, given the original Galaxy Z Flip's price cut).
Improved durability: Though the original Galaxy Z Flip was plenty durable for a folding phone, we think the Galaxy Z Flip 3 should be more so. Using that Ultra Thin Glass in its display helps a lot, but we hope Samsung makes the new clamshell foldable feel more sturdy. After all, if you’re shelling out more than $1,000 for a phone, you’d expect it to survive an accidental drop or scrape. And it’d be great if the outside didn’t show so many smudges.
Better app support for Flex mode: As with any new technology, there is an adoption period that exists between introduction and mainstream acceptance. While having a display that expands out into something bigger is cool, if apps don’t support it, why would you want to use the feature? And when that feature is the basis for buying the device in the first place, you run into a problem.
Samsung seems to be working on this last part. In his remarks on the August 11 event, Roh promised that "we have lined up even more partner apps that make the most of the versatile fold-out format." We hope to find out just what he means when the Galaxy Z Flip 3 gets its moment in the spotlight.
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