The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G is the company’s latest foldable flagship, along with the newly unveiled Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G. With a price tag of $999, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the most affordable flagship yet, to this date. It comes with a lot of new improvements and enhancements over its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip. In this guide, we’ll take a look at how the Galaxy Z Flip 3 vs Galaxy S21 Ultra compare to each other and which offers better features for your hard-earned money.
At the Galaxy Unpacked event on August 11, Samsung also unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Buds2, which replaced the Galaxy Buds+, which was long-standing, one of the best wireless earbuds on the market. We also have an article with a collection of the best Samsung Galaxy Buds2 cases, so you can protect your device right after receiving it. Samsung also released the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series of smartwatches that run the latest Wear OS 3.0 unified platform on top of Samsung’s One UI Watch.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra specifications
Specification | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
Build | Gorilla Glass Victus back “Armor Aluminum” sides IPX8 | Aluminum mid-frame Gorilla Glass Victus back Gorilla Glass Victus front |
Dimensions & Weight | Folded: 72.2 x 86.4 x 17.1mm Unfolded: 72.2 x 166.0 x 6.8mm 183g | 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm 229 grams |
Display | 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (main screen)22:9 aspect ratio 2640 x 1080 525ppi 120Hz adaptive refresh rate 1.9-inch Super AMOLED (outside “cover” screen)260 x 512 | 6.8″ QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X curved display 3200 x 1440 pixels 515ppi 120Hz variable refresh rate120Hz at QHD+ supported 10-120Hz 20:9 aspect ratio 1500nits peak brightness HDR10+ Always-On display Infinity-O display |
SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8881x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex X1-based) Prime core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex A78-based) Performance cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 660 GPU | International: Exynos 2100:1x ARM Cortex X1 @ 2.9GHz + 3x ARM Cortex A78 Cores @ 2.8GHz + 4x ARM Cortex A55 Cores @ 2.2GHz USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888:1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz |
RAM & Storage | 8GB LPDDR5 128/256GB UFS 3.1 | 12GB LPDDR5 + 128GB 12GB + 256GB 16GB + 512GB |
Battery & Charging | 3,300mAh dual-cell battery 15W fast charging support 10W wireless charging support 4.5W reverse wireless charging Charger not included | 5,000mAh 25W USB Power Delivery 3.0 fast charging 15W wireless charging 4.5 reverse wireless charging No charger in the box in most regions |
Security | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor | Ultrasonic In-Display Fingerprint Scanner |
Rear Camera(s) | Primary: 12MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, OIS Ultra-wide: 12MP, f/2.2, 123° FoV | Primary: 108 MP, wide-angle lens, f/1.8, 79°, 24mm, 1/1.33″, 0.8µm (pre-nona-binning), OIS, PDAF, Laser AF Secondary: 12 MP, ultra-wide-angle lens, f/2.2, 120° FoV, 13mm, 1/2.55″, 1.4 µm, Dual Pixel AF Tertiary: 10 MP, telephoto lens, f/2.4, 35°, 72mm, 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom, Dual Pixel AF Quarternary: 10 MP, telephoto lens, f/4.9, 10°, 240mm, 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, OIS, 10x optical zoom, Dual Pixel AF |
Front Camera(s) | 10MP, f/2.4 | 40MP, f/2.2, 0.7µm, 80° FoV, PDAF |
Port(s) | USB 3.1 Type-C | USB 3.2 Type-C |
Audio | Stereo speakers Dolby Atmos | Stereo speakers by AKG Dolby Atmos |
Connectivity | 5G Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 NFC | Bluetooth 5.1 NFC Wi-Fi 6E 5G |
Software | One UI based on Android 11 | Samsung One UI 3.1 based on Android 11 |
Other Features | IPX8 splash resistance | IP68 water resistance Samsung DeX UWB Wacom Stylus and S Pen support (sold separately and stored externally) MST support in some regions |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: design
When it comes to the design of the two devices, you have to ask yourself which of the form factors would fit your lifestyle and needs better. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 can fold open and be a large standard smartphone when you want it to be, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra will always be a massive device that takes up a lot of space in your pocket or bag. However, the Z Flip 3 is a lot thicker when you leave it in your pocket as it’s 17.1mm when completely folded. That’s about the same as older laptops or some gaming laptops. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is only 8.9mm thick, which is a lot closer to standard smartphones that you have been using in the past few years. Many reviews and people found that having a thicker and more compact device is often the way to go, but it will depend on your needs on which one is better and more comfortable to carry around all day.
The good thing about the Galaxy Z Flip 3, compared to the S21 Ultra, is its weight. It weighs significantly less at 183 grams, while the S21 Ultra is 229 grams. The difference is only about 40 grams, but it can be felt, and it can be a game-changer if you’re used to lighter phones. Of course, it’s nothing you can’t get used to overtime, but it’s still something worth pointing out.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has also received a 4-times larger display that now measures are 1.9-inches. It lets you use widgets, receive calls, see messages, see the time, and control audio, all without unfolding the device. It also allows you to capture selfies more quickly, so it’s an excellent device if you’re someone who likes to share a lot of photos.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: performance
The performance of the two devices should be identical, as both of them are using the same chipset – Snapdragon 888. The Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with more memory and storage, which means that it’s better for productivity, gaming, and using multiple apps at the same time. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 can also use multiple apps simultaneously. Still, the Galaxy S21 Ultra may be better if you frequently change between many applications to send emails, edit images, surf the internet, watch YouTube, and handle socials and messaging.
When it gets to productivity, the Galaxy S21 Ultra provides better performance as it has more memory than the Galaxy Z Flip 3. It also has more storage options that you could use to store more games, files, photos, and videos.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: camera
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 108MP main sensor with Laser autofocus and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). There’s also a 10MP periscope telephoto with 10x optical zoom, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. The selfie camera is a 40MP sensor. The camera on the Galaxy S21 Ultra is still considered among the best in 2021.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a primary camera of a 12MP sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus and OIS, and a secondary of a 12MP ultrawide. The selfie camera is 10MP, and it’s excellent for video calls and keeping up with friends, family, as well as taking a few occasional images. Since there is a larger 1.9-inch display on the outer shell, you will likely want to use the primary or secondary cameras to take selfies since the display can also act as a viewfinder, helping and guiding you to take better selfies.
If you plan to take many photos both day and night, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will take decent images. The S21 Ultra is the all-around best camera smartphone on the market today, so if you want to show in any and all lighting conditions and want the best shots possible, it’s the device worth considering.
Should you buy Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra?
All things considered, only one question remains – Which smartphone is better for you? To answer it, you must ask yourself a few questions. How important are the form factor, the camera, and some of the additional functionalities that a flat-screen, standard smartphone can offer? If you want to take advantage of the S Pen functionality, the best smartphones that you can pick up are the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 3, or the Galaxy Note 20 series. If you are looking for the classic smartphone experience but want more from a device, the Galaxy S21 Ultra ticks all the checkboxes and throws in a few more benefits and extra features.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate flagship that has all of the power, design and flagship features that you ever wanted to have in a smartphone. If you want the best non-folding, true flagship experience, this is for you.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the most advanced foldable smartphone to this date from Samsung. It offers class-leading innovation, design, and durability features such as the IPX8 splash resistance. It has premium and flagship features, all the power you need, and a great camera setup that excels in most lighting conditions. The previous generation of foldables was great, but this is the most enhanced version yet, and if you want to give it a try, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Of course, the best thing to do is to wait for our full reviews, which will be posted very soon, so stay tuned to find out more about our experiences with the new Galaxy Z series. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is available for pre-order, and it will be available from August 27 starting at $999.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
You can Pre-Order your next Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and get $150 Samsung credit. Samsung also gives you one year of Samsung Care+ for free when you opt into a 3 year Samsung Care+ plan.