Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G vs. Galaxy Z Flip3 5G: The Ultimate Foldable Face-Off
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Z Fold2 offers a tablet-like experience with its larger, unfolded display and powerful Snapdragon 865, ideal for productivity. The Z Flip3 shines with its stylish design, improved durability, and more vibrant display, making it a fashion-forward choice for those prioritizing portability and a fun user experience. The Z Flip3 generally offers better value.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - SM-F916B | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - SM-F916B | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 78, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 77, 78 Sub6 - SM-F916B | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 66 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66 - SM-F916U1 | 2, 5, 25, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2021, August 11 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, September 18 | Available. Released 2021, August 27 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back, aluminum frame | Plastic front, glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mmFolded: 159.2 x 68 x 13.8-16.8 mm | Unfolded: 166 x 72.2 x 6.9 mm Folded: 86.4 x 72.2 x 15.9-17.1 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 282 g (9.95 oz) | 183 g (6.46 oz) |
| - | IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1768 x 2208 pixels (~373 ppi density) | 1080 x 2640 pixels (~426 ppi density) |
| Size | 7.6 inches, 180.8 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 101.5 cm2 (~84.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) |
| Cover display: Super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 6.23 inches, 816 x 2260 pixels, 25:9 ratio | Cover display: Super AMOLED, 1.9 inches, 260 x 512 pixels | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.09 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1.1 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, One UI 6.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm | - |
| Video | 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+ | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@60/240fps, HDR10+ |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm | 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.1, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired 11W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless | 15W wired 10W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Po 3300 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Thom Browne Edition, Aston Martin Racing Edition | Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Cream, White, Pink, Gray, Thom Browne Edition, Bespoke Edition, Wooyoungmi Edition, Dream White |
| Models | SM-F916B, SM-F916U, SM-F916U1, SM-F916N, SM-F9160, SM-F916W, SCG05 | SM-F711B, SM-F711N, SM-F711U, SM-F711U1, SM-F711W, SM-F7110 |
| Price | About 960 EUR | € 279.00 / $ 208.04 / £ 215.00 |
| SAR EU | 0.86 W/kg (head) 1.45 W/kg (body) | 0.86 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | Endurance rating 69h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) | -25.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 564907 (v8) GeekBench: 12607 (v4.4), 2715 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 596866 (v8) | 682223 (v9) GeekBench: 3441 (v5.1) GFXBench: 40fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
- Larger unfolded display for multitasking
- Powerful Snapdragon 865 5G
- Versatile camera system
- Tablet-like experience
- Higher price
- Bulky and heavy
- Smaller cover display
- Slower charging
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
- Compact and pocketable design
- Brighter display
- Improved durability
- More vibrant colors
- Better value
- Smaller battery
- Slower charging
- Less versatile camera system compared to Z Fold2
Display Comparison
The Z Flip3 boasts a significantly brighter display at 935 nits compared to the Z Fold2's 714 nits, resulting in better outdoor visibility. The Z Flip3 also has an 'infinite' contrast ratio (nominal), suggesting excellent blacks. The Z Fold2's main display is larger and offers more screen real estate when unfolded, making it better for multitasking and content creation. The Z Fold2's cover display is smaller and less convenient for everyday use.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but the Z Flip3 generally produces slightly better images, especially in low light. The Z Fold2's camera system is a bit more versatile with its multiple lenses, but the Z Flip3's image processing is often considered more refined. Video recording capabilities are comparable on both devices.
Performance
The Z Flip3's Snapdragon 888 5G offers a slight performance edge over the Z Fold2's Snapdragon 865 5G, particularly in graphics-intensive tasks. Both phones handle everyday tasks and multitasking with ease, but the Z Flip3's newer chipset provides a bit more headroom for future-proofing and demanding applications. Both have ample RAM.
Battery Life
The Z Fold2 has a slightly higher endurance rating (81h) compared to the Z Flip3 (69h), suggesting slightly better battery life. However, real-world usage can vary depending on usage patterns and display settings. Both phones support 25W wired charging on the Z Fold2 and 15W wired charging on the Z Flip3, which is relatively slow compared to other flagship phones.
Buying Guide
The Galaxy Z Fold2 5G is perfect for power users, multitaskers, and those who want a large screen for media consumption and productivity. It's a mini-tablet in your pocket. The Galaxy Z Flip3 5G is ideal for fashion-conscious individuals, those who want a compact and pocketable phone, and users who enjoy a unique and eye-catching design.