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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G review: Living the flip life confidently

By Liu Hongzuo - 12 Sep 2021
Launch SRP: S$1398

Imaging Performance

Imaging Performance

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G camera configuration
Rear cameras (next to Cover Screen) Front camera (inside Main Screen)
  • 12MP main with Dual Pixel, OIS, f/1.8 aperture, 1.4μm pixel size
  • 12MP ultra-wide, 123° FOV, f/2,2 aperture, 1.12μm pixel size
  • 10MP, f/2.4 aperture 1.22μm

On paper, the cameras used are identical to the previous Z Flip 5G’s. But, the Z Flip3 5G lenses next to the Cover Screen are protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass with DX this time that gives it added protection. While the Z Flip3 5G’s novel ways of taking photos and videos haven’t changed at a hardware level, Samsung did put in effort to make the form factor even more conducive for photo-taking.

Selfie taken via Cover Screen preview.

Selfie taken via Cover Screen preview.

Instead of relying on a reflective phone cover to give you an image preview, you can now use the bigger Cover Screen as a viewfinder, which wasn’t possible before (neat!). Also, photos taken with the Cover Screen facing you are 1:1 aspect ratio, so you’re getting a proper selfie beyond the thin preview shown in Cover Screen. You'll also realise that the image quality is a lot better than using the dedicated selfie camera that's on the main screen when you compare the above shots with those below.

Selfie via Main Screen preview.

Selfie via Main Screen preview.

With the Main Screen retaining its original preview functionality, Samsung collectively refers to its double-sided viewfinder feature as Dual Preview. You can even preview beauty effects, filters, and AR Doodles before snapping a photo on either viewfinder. 

Below are more sample images, captioned with the phone's respective rear cameras used.

 

Sample images

Main camera.

Main camera.

Main camera 2x zoom.

Main camera 5x zoom.

Main camera 10x zoom (max).

Main camera.

Ultra-wide camera.

Main camera 2x zoom.

Main camera 5x zoom.

Main camera 10x zoom.

Main camera.

Ultra-wide camera.

Main camera.

Overall, we found the imaging quality acceptable for uploading to social media platforms. One improvement we hope to see for future models is the addition of a telephoto lens with optical or hybrid zoom, since its main camera’s digital zoom beyond 2x can’t quite compete against its very own Galaxy S21 zoom features.

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8.5
  • Design 8.5
  • Features 8.5
  • User-Friendliness 8.5
  • Performance 8.5
  • Value 8.5
The Good
Significantly improved Cover Screen
Better Main Screen durability
True flagship-tier performance
IP-rated water resistance
Palatable price point
Commendable battery life for its form factor
The Bad
You would still need to use the phone with care
Main Screen crease still visible
Odd speaker balance
Only 1080p screen resolution
Average imaging quality
No telephoto lens
Charging adapter not included
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