Samsung recently unveiled its latest generation of foldables, including the Galaxy Z Flip 3. With the latest Z Flip, Samsung has brought the lineup closer to a standard flagship in terms of price, since it starts at $999 now. Its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, launched at $1,449, so you may be wondering if Samsung made any big sacrifices to lower the price that much. An easy sacrifice for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 to make would be the fingerprint sensor, but thankfully, that’s not the case.
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 does have a fingerprint sensor, just as previous versions have had. This is a capacitive fingerprint sensor, and not the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that is seen on other Samsung Galaxy flagships. The fingerprint sensor is mounted on the side, and it doubles as a power button. One of the reasons for this is you may want to use your phone with just the external screen. It’s unlikely you’ll want to use it for a lot of things, but you can access quick settings, see notifications, and use Samsung Pay with the phone folded. In those situations, it may be helpful to be able to unlock the phone while it’s folded, so a fingerprint sensor under the display wouldn’t be ideal.
XDA-Developers VIDEO OF THE DAYYou can always opt for facial recognition if you prefer that, but keep in mind this won’t be the most secure method of authentication. Samsung only uses a standard camera for facial recognition, no fancy 3D scanning or anything. As such, it’s easier to fool than something like Face ID on an iPhone. For the most safety, you’ll want to use the fingerprint reader instead.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 can be reserved right now using the link below, or you can check here to see the best deals available right now. If you want to buy Samsung’s latest clamshell foldable, you’ll probably want to protect it with one of these cases. Samsung did improve the durability of the Z Flip 3, but it’s always best to be extra careful.