Samsung’s had quite a busy week with new devices releasing left and right. The last seven days have seen the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 come out, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro just released and the new Galaxy Buds Pro 2 are now also available.
That said, perhaps the most important of all these devices are the two new foldables. While the Fold 4 starts small and goes big, the Flip 4 is the exact opposite. It’s a slab phone that folds in half for better portability, but is it really different enough from the Flip 3 to justify its $1000 price tag?
In this article, we’re pitting both of Samsung’s flip phones against each other to help you decide which one’s the better choice for you.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Z Fold 3; Is the newer fold worth it?
Design
Well, this is going to be a short one. Despite the under-the-hood improvements that the Flip 4 gets like a stronger processor or more storage, the external design of the two phones is practically identical.
If anything, the Flip 4’s design feels slightly more refined, but that’s about it for the most part. Going against the new Fold 4’s path, the Flip 4 is around 19 grams heavier than the Flip 3, the corners are slightly less round but that’s all you’re getting for design.
Camera
No big changes here either. Unlike the Fold 4 which upgraded the main camera from 12MP all the way to 50MP, the Flip 4 gets almost the same 12MP camera as the Flip 3. The pixel size is slightly bigger coming in at 1.8 microns rather than 1.4 microns on the Flip 4 suggesting that Samsung might’ve borrowed the camera over from its S21 series. The second 12MP ultra-wide camera also remains largely identical.
However, thanks to the upgraded Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, the image processing is better on the Flip 4. Combined with better software algorithms, the images are slightly better, but nearly not enough to sell the new phone over its predecessor.
Display
Once again, no surprises here. The Flip 4 gets pretty much the same 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with LTPO refresh rate meaning it can go from 1 to 120Hz depending on your screen’s content. The display resolution remains almost the same at 2640 x 1080 and so does the aspect ratio at 22:9.
That said, the Z Flip 4’s display does have slightly higher brightness while simultaneously having lower power consumption, better colour rendering and more granular refresh rate adjustments that might help your battery last a little longer.
The external display is also the same at 1.9-inches with the same 260 x 512 resolution but is reportedly more useful now thanks to the added ability to make phone calls among other things.
Performance and Software
Combined with the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and its 1080p display, the Flip 4 will seem just about the fastest Android phone you can use and that is true to some extent. Not that the Flip 3 with its Snapdragon 888 is slow, but the latest and greatest from Snapdragon means the Flip 4 does beat its predecessor when it comes to performance.
Once again, both phones have the exact same RAM coming in at 8GB and the same storage options at 128GB and 256GB. That said, similar to the Fold 4, the Flip 4 also adds another storage option coming in at 512GB.
Battery and Charging
This is probably the biggest difference between the two phones and the most welcome one as well. The Flip 4 has a bigger battery coming at 3,700 mAh and charges faster thanks to the upgraded 25W charging speed. For context, the Flip 3 has a 3,300 mAh battery with 10W charging. Wireless charging is however the same on both phones coming in at 10W.
Hardware Specifications
Here’s a hardware specification comparison between the two devices.
| Specifications | Galaxy Z Flip 4 | Galaxy Z Flip 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 | Snapdragon 888 |
| Memory | 8GB LPDDR5 RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 RAM |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB UFS 3,1 | 128GB, 256GB UFS 3,1 |
| Display (Main) | 6.7-inches Dynamic AMOLED LTPO (1-120Hz) 2640 x 1080 | 6.7-inches Dynamic AMOLED LTPO (10-120Hz) 2636 x 1080 |
| Display (External) | 1.9-inch AMOLED 60Hz 260 x 512 | 1.9-inch AMOLED 60Hz 260 x 512 |
| Rear Cameras | 12MP main camera 12MP ultra-wide | 12MP main camera 12MP ultra-wide |
| Front Cameras | 10MP F/2.4 | 10MP F/2.4 |
| Battery and Charging | 3.700 mAh 25W wired 10W wireless | 3.300 mAh 15W wired 10W wireless |
| Software | Android 12 | Android 12 (Android 11 at launch) |
Which one should you buy?
Other than the larger battery and the faster processor, the Flip 4 really isn’t all that different from the Flip 3. That said, the price tag for both phones is the same, which puts buyers in a bit of a pickle.
Samsung has now discontinued the Flip 3, which means if you want the best that clamshell folding phones have to offer, the Flip 4 is just about your only choice. Samsung is also giving away some crazy deals on used Flip 3s. giving users back as much as $900 for the old phone which makes the upgrade easier.
If you’re looking to pick up a new phone, you can find used or even new Flip 3’s for quite cheap now that the Flip 4 is out. That said since the phone has been discontinued by Samsung, repair and serviceability might be a challenge.
If money’s no object or if you’re getting a good buy-back deal on your Flip 3, we recommend you go through with the upgrade. However, if you’d like the make the switch easier on your wallet, the Flip 3 is still a solid phone (provided you take care of it) and will give you pretty much the same experience for much cheaper now.
Also read: Unable to connect to Samsung server: 5 Fixes
