The story of folding phones thus far has been one of compromise. Choosing a folding phone over a standard slab design has generally meant you compromised on performance, durability, and most of all, price.

It folds in half, It costs the same as other high-end phones, It’s water resistant, Inside screen is as good as other premium phones

Long-term screen durability still a question, Cameras aren’t top tier, Cover screen still too small and limited, Difficult to open one-handed

Small and stylish, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G is a clamshell-style folding phone with a decent sized cover screen where you can read your messages, set timers or even take photos. While the camera system won't blow you away, everything else is pretty spot on.

Sturdy, waterproof design, Fast performance and good battery life, 1.9inch cover screen with widgets

Average camera system, Crease could sometimes get in the way, Quite thick when folded up

If you’re dying for something new and compact, though, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 could well be the most exciting phone of the year.

Immensely stylish and pocket-friendly design, Excellent main screen, Much more affordable than before

Disappointing cameras, Mediocre battery life, Lacks the clear purpose of the Fold 3

Flip phones are officially back for good with Samsung’s third generation of the Z Flip, formally named the Galaxy Z Flip3.

Premium and well built design., Immersive and high-quality display., Impressive cameras and dynamic range.

Screen crease is visible from an angle., Battery life falls short of the competition., Plastic screen protector is prone to dust.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a good smartphone that pushes its way into greatness by offering a fairly unique experience through its foldability, which provides some beneficial utility and excellent pocketability.

With the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung has finally made a foldable clamshell phone that can be taken seriously. It has taken a couple of attempts, but Samsung’s latest line of foldable phones finally have a clear reason to exist.

Folds up into a neat package, Smooth 120Hz inner display, Water resistant, Much cheaper (but still not cheap), You crave something different: There’s no doubting the Z Flip 3 is unique and it feels like something genuinely new. Or at least a new version of something old.

The outer display is better but still fairly limited, Mid-range cameras, Average battery life, Specs are what you want: The Z Flip 3 is more than fast enough, but it can’t compete with the best for camera quality, battery life or charging speeds.

Although not a giant leap forward compared to its predecessor, the Z Flip 3 is a much more fluidly designed device. It's now deep into its life cycle, but this is still the foldable phone to beat. With a price tag that tackles 'normal' flagships head-on, too, it'll certainly turn some heads - even if there are a few compromises that are part and parcel of a foldable.

Larger front screen is much better looking and more neatly integrated; The tidiest flip phone design of any maker to date; Plenty of power and sturdy software;

Largely similar to predecessor; Screen coating is unavoidably reflective and ongoing 'crease' issues remain; No under panel camera (UPC) - as seen in Z Fold 3;

This phone folds horizontally across the centre of the screen it means when open you are able to have 6.7 inches of depth in a single view. When your finger moves across the central area of the screen there is a little resistance and if you look closely at the darkened screen you can see the crease...

It's a one-of-a-kind device and it's cool, but there are a few problems lurking So, should you get it? That’s a weird question to answer for a one-of-a-kind device like the Z Flip 3.