The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is Not the Right Smartphone for Me
The largest smartphone I have ever owned was the Huawei Nexus 6P that was sold by Google. The device was massive at 159.3 × 77.8 mm (6.27 × 3.06 in) which made one-handed operation practically impossible. I made the decision to buy it after having the OnePlus One for about two years prior. That phone was also hefty at 152.9 ⨉ 75.9 mm (6 ⨉ 2 in). At the time I thought, “it’s just a marginal increase in size and it won’t make a difference.” But after struggling with both of those devices for about four years, I made the decision to only buy smaller smartphones that fit it one hand and can be used without having to slide them up and down.
This took me on a journey to first try the Blackberry KeyONE and the Samsung Galaxy S8 with the Keyboard Case shortly thereafter. Both of those phones had clocked in at about 149 ⨉ 70 mm (5.87 ⨉ 2.76 in). I was unimpressed with the processor and the camera on the Blackberry, so I exchanged it for the Samsung S8. While vacationing in Paris shortly after getting the S8, I vividly remember riding the metro to the Arc de Triomph and double-checking the station where I needed to get off on that device. After getting out of the train, there were about three flights of stairs, and by the time I got to the surface level and looked at my new phone once again, I noticed a hairline crack across the top of the screen even though it was kept in the original Samsung case and in my pocket the whole time between the train and the monument. So I returned it for being defective. Then I settled on the Essential PH-1. Despite having an ugly notch and no headphone jack, the phone was smaller (141.5 ⨉ 71.1 mm or 5.57 ⨉ 2.80 in), made up of uncommon materials (ceramic and titanium) that were great to the touch, and came with the best internals at the time.
The biggest downside to the PH-1 was its capacitive touchscreen. It was difficult to use, especially in light of the Android 10 Gesture Navigation where it would constantly miss the edge swipes to go back. So I ended up buying a Samsung Galaxy S10e with a similar size of 142.2 ⨉ 69.9 mm (5.60 ⨉ 2.75 in). Besides having an upgraded processor and an impeccable screen, the new device brought back old features such as the headphone jack, memory expansion via a microSD card, and IP68 water and dust resistance. Now, two years later, it’s starting to show its age. It’s the usual stuff; Samsung is about to stop supporting it right after upgrading it to Android 12, there’s no 5G, and the battery doesn’t last as long as it used to. (Though AccuBattery is saying that the battery’s health is at 95%, so it might be fixed with a factory reset.)
Which finally brings us to the $1000 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G. It is such a disappointment that I’m having a hard time deciding where to start. I guess I’ll start with the good — that Green color is absolutely fantastic! The rest of it simply sucks. Let’s look at the heft. It’s about as heavy as the PH-1 at 185 grams (6.5 oz) but it’s not as well-balanced. Samsung got a lot of criticism for its predecessors not being able to remain half open on the desk, so they made it bottom-heavy. Which means it’s less optimal for hand-held operation. Then there’s the sheer size itself. When unfolded, it’s more than 6mm taller than the tallest phone I’ve ever owned (166mm vs. the 6P’s 159.3mm). It is so tall and unbalanced that even when using Samsung’s one-handed feature, it’s still impossible to reach the top of the shrunken virtual screen:
The next big issue I have is with the way the screen feels. Even my very first Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy S (“Vibrant”) had Corning Gorilla Glass on the front. The Z Flip3’s main screen is covered with plastic. PLASTIC! This makes it feel almost like the Samsung Highlight. “Almost” because the feature phone didn’t have a noticeable dip halfway down its screen.
The rest are just stupid omissions that are inexcusable at this price point as compared to my current S10e (which I bought “renewed” for $385):
- No memory expansion
- No dedicated assistant button
- Out-of-reach volume buttons
- Unimpressive cameras
- And no headphone jack (which I still use about once every fifty days)
And all of that is traded for the fact that you can fold it and carry it your pocket, never mind that it bulges out and weighs you down like two halves of a chunky smartphones that was cut in half and stacked one atop the other.
Where’s my Android equivalent of the iPhone 13 Mini that comes with a 5G capable processor and a full-day battery?
