Galaxy Z Flip 3 — Samsung hasn’t fixed the biggest problem

Milky way Z Flip 3 — Samsung hasn't stock-still the biggest trouble

(Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

Samsung has made a big splash with the Galaxy Z Flip 3. With several big improvements over the original version and a much cheaper asking price, there are now hushful whispers that this could be the outset mainstream foldable phone. Still, tin can that really happen when Samsung has insisted on sticking with an embarrassingly small-scale battery?

In example you're not up to speed with the specs, the Z Flip 3 features a 3,300 mAh battery, the same chapters as the Galaxy Z Flip and fashion smaller than basically whatever other modern phone. Users deserve more for their $i,000, and it'southward disappointing that Samsung didn't alter this in the slightest.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 review: The offset foldable phone under $1,000
The best foldable phones on sale today
Plus: Milky way Z Fold 3's S Pen support is great — but the pricing is insulting

It'south not just that the rated capacity is small - Apple'due south iPhone 12 line all have much smaller than average batteries for their size. However, the iPhone 12 range still manages to achieve a decent battery life. The Z Flip certainly didn't, and the Z Flip three'southward chances don't seem much better.

We've yet to test how the Z Flip 3 lasts on our custom battery drain test. Still, we have the results from the original Z Flip. Information technology managed 8 hours and 16 minutes, which is yet manner backside the boilerplate result of around 10 hours. It did manage to do better than the simply comparable foldable phone, the Motorola Razr (2019), which lasted 6 hours and 8 minutes from its even smaller 2,510 mAh bombardment.

Compare the Z Flip'south results to other flagship phones of a like price, and things look even worse. The half-dozen.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max lasts an impressive 10 hours and 53 minutes. Samsung'due south own Milky way S21 Ultra, with its 5,000 mAh battery, managed an fifty-fifty better eleven hours and 25 minutes. Is having that unique clamshell design really worth over iii hours of battery life? I'm non sure it is.

Still, there are some things that get in the Z Flip three'due south favor that the original didn't have. Outset off, it'due south much cheaper than the original. At $999 for the basic model (down from $1,299), it's $100 cheaper than the iPhone 12 Pro Max and $200 cheaper than the S21 Ultra. Possibly saving that scrap of cash volition first the frustration at that tiny battery.

Secondly, the Z Flip 3 has increased the size of its external display. The 1.one-inch notification window from the first Z Flip has developed into a 1.9-inch touchscreen that you tin really command the phone with. This in theory means you'll need to open the master 6.7-inch display less ofttimes, and therefore use less battery. Add together to that the small tweaks and improvements to the operating system and apps that Samsung'south likely made since concluding year, and perhaps the Z Flip 3 has a take chances of lasting every bit long as your boilerplate smartphone.

We'll have to get back to y'all on how long the Z Flip 3 in our testing. We tin't deny that Samsung's new clamshell foldable, like its bigger sibling, is an impressive piece of engineering with its flexible 120Hz inner screen, tougher, water-resistant frame and upgraded comprehend display. It'southward only a shame that one of the key parts of whatsoever smartphone has seemingly been neglected in all the excitement.

More: Samsung Galaxy Sentinel 4 is missing this killer feature at launch

Richard is a Tom'southward Guide staff author based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, gaming, sound and whatever else people demand advice on. Post-obit on from his MA in Mag Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Annals and Creative Bloq. When not at piece of work, he'south likely thinking near how to mash the perfect cup of specialty coffee.