A price drop of 500 euros for the new generation of a state-of-the-art smartphone is rare enough to be reported in a market where discounts are played out rather with tens of euros on the final invoice. It is however the proposal of Samsung which launched its two new foldable smartphones at the end of August, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, at the prohibitive price of 1,799 euros, and especially the Galaxy Z Flip 3, offered from 1,059 euros when its predecessor s displayed at 1,500 euros.

Two and a half years after the advent of this technology, foldable smartphones remain expensive and elite devices, technological showcases. But by breaking the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung positions it against other high-end references on the market such as the iPhone 12 Pro, the Galaxy S21 Ultra or the Find X3 Pro from Oppo, and makes it leave the radius of gadgets for techies for that of consumer devices. Because the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is also a convincing smartphone. Unlike the first Galaxy Fold, which was too fragile, or the previous Galaxy Z Flips, whose technical configuration was not at the level of their innovative design, the Z Flip 3 is powerful and resistant enough to make up for the shortcomings of its predecessors and impose itself as a credible alternative to classic high-end smartphones.

The "wow" effect of the flip phone of the 2000s

With its screen that folds lengthwise in the style of flip phones from the 2000s, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is one of the few smartphones of the moment to cause a "wow effect". Placed on a table at a dinner party, it never goes unnoticed. Anxious to make it a real fashion accessory, Samsung has completed its square format with a two-tone design for the best effect available in several colors.

The main advantage of this hybrid format is that the device is easier to transport in the folded position. Ultra-compact (1.5 cm thick, 7.2 cm wide and 8.6 cm long), it takes up no more space than a compact or a headphone case. At the front, there is a secondary screen dedicated to displaying the time, notifications, weather, alarms or music control. You can also record a voice memo. Enough to pick up your phone a bit while having the main alerts in front of you.

While it was a little too resistant on previous versions, Samsung has revised the hinge of the device to ensure that the smartphone is easier to fold and unfold. It is now possible to close a call by closing the screen as in the good old days of the Motorola clamshell. You can also easily unfold your screen with one hand. The system has been tested to withstand at least 200,000 openings and closings, or around 100 every day for five years.

Resistant to rain and drops in water

In the unfolded position, the Z Flip 3 offers a slightly longer format than the usual smartphones but rolls out a 6.7-inch OLED screen with pronounced contrasts and an adaptive 120 Hz display that is comfortable to use. Samsung has worked to make the center crease as inconspicuous as possible. It is barely distinguishable and is quickly forgotten in use if you do not look at the device from the side. The side black bands are more annoying when playing a video.

Protected by a new, more resistant coating and a plastic film, the screen has been tested to withstand rain, splashes and immersion in fresh water up to 1.50 m deep for 30 minutes. Samsung fills here one of the main flaws of previous versions. But it remains vulnerable to dust and scratches. It is better to be careful not to slip it into a bag or a pocket where there are also keys without having folded it correctly.

Samsung also takes advantage of the foldable screen of the Z Flip 3 to highlight a Flex mode consisting of placing the smartphone in a half-folded position on a table to take advantage of an application on the upper part of the screen (to read the news, an email or a video) and another application on the lower part (to take notes, check emails or social networks) for example. Multitasking facilitated by the latest processor used by Samsung, the Snapdragon 888 capable of supporting all uses.

Two faults: insufficient autonomy and in withdrawal in photo

In terms of photos, the configuration chosen by Samsung places the Z Flip 3 behind conventional smartphones sold at the same price level. There is a dual 12 Mpx sensor at the back, with a wide-angle (f / 1.8) and an ultra-wide-angle (f / 2.2) which give suitable results in broad daylight, with in particular a blurry portrait mode average artistry. Beyond a clever function using the secondary screen to render the subject when shooting, the device shows its limits at night and when it comes to zooming, two areas where the competition offers more advanced tools. Samsung has a lot of leeway to improve its copy in the future and offer a foldable smartphone that has nothing to envy to conventional phones. The other axis of improvement of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is its autonomy. Samsung has equipped it with a battery with a capacity of 3,300 mAh which is too limited compared to the functionality and 5G connectivity of the device. Even if the adaptive display of its screen makes it possible to optimize its resources, one is quickly caught out at the end of the day and forced to recharge it if one wishes to go out for dinner or in the evening. The technologies used for recharging are also too limited without a block provided allowing fast charging. Finally, the Z Flip 3 is compatible with Samsung's new S Pen stylus, which allows you to take notes on the fly and perform various quick actions like on the Galaxy Note.