As the sequel of "The Matrix" is about to be released, Limp Bizkit releases a new album, and Samsung releases Galaxy Z Flip 3, it is safe to say that the early 2000s are back. After being nostalgic for the last decade of the 1980s and 1990s, I think it is only a matter of time.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 was released in August of this year. It is the second generation of Samsung's clamshell foldable smartphone series and a huge leap from its predecessor. But even with these upgrades, how does it compare to other smartphones on the market? Will flip phones have a place in 2021?

On the surface, it is easy to write the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as a more novel product than a serious smartphone. Although I think this is correct to some extent, compared with other phones of the brand and other phones on the market, Samsung has worked hard to create a phone that is sufficient as an alternative.

Flip 3 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, which is the same chipset used in the US, China and Japan versions of Samsung Galaxy S21 models, with 8GB of RAM and Adreno 660 GPU. In the two months I used this phone, it only crashed once on me-that's because I did it on purpose.

Compared with Samsung's flagship smartphones, the battery capacity of Flip 3 is indeed smaller, only 3,300mAh, but I have never felt that there is any problem. Most days, when I plug in my phone and charge it overnight, my battery level is around 30%.

It is equipped with two external cameras-a 12MP wide-angle and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle-both are excellent. When opened, this phone also has a pretty good front 10MP punch-hole camera.

The ultra-wide-angle camera is indeed worthy of the name, almost a fisheye lens, which causes some distortion at the edges of the image. It's not that obvious, but if you use it to shoot up close, you will definitely see it.

The hinge of the phone is very sturdy, and I have maintained this sturdiness throughout my use of it. There is also incredible satisfaction in turning the phone on or off dramatically. I find myself doing this whenever possible, even if the occasion does not really require that level of rudeness.

Unlike the previous Z Flip model, Flip 3 actually has an IPX8 waterproof rating, but no dustproof rating. So try to keep the hinge clean.

The best feature of Flip 3 and the biggest improvement over its predecessor is its screen, which is impressive considering that it is often bent in half. Its screen is a 6.7-inch, 2640 x 1080 Samsung AMOLED display with HDR10+. Everything I watch or play on it looks very clear and sharp.

Compared with the previous Z Flip, this new iteration supports an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz (more on this later) and high peak brightness to ensure that you will not have any problems when using your phone outdoors under direct sunlight.

The larger 22:9 display is perfect for gaming. Since most mobile game HUDs are designed to be located on the far edge of the screen, there is a lot of space in the center. After prolonged use, the screen does become hot. It's not uncomfortable enough, but it's obvious.

The 120Hz refresh rate does help to create some smooth gameplay, and I have no problem maintaining 60 FPS when playing RAM-intensive games such as Call of Duty Mobile and Primal Shock. The hinge is also strong enough, and I never accidentally bend the phone when I play with it.

This phone also has a Game Booster function, which allows you to limit notifications, battery usage, and background application functions by analyzing the phone’s memory usage and temperature, which will help optimize its performance when you play games.

The bendable nature of the phone does mean that a crease will appear on the screen when it is fully opened. However, I think Samsung has done a good job of minimizing this crease as much as possible. When playing games or watching videos, it is not very obvious that it is at the correct angle. However, I will adjust myself from time to time, and the crease will reflect the light in the room.

That elongated screen does make Flip 3 a very long phone, but I can hold it as comfortably as I usually hold other smart phones. I have large hands, but I never felt that I had to stretch too much to press the volume or power buttons. However, if you have a baby hand condition, you may have a different experience.

There is also a small 1.9-inch external display that you can use to view basic information such as notifications, time, or battery, or to access application widgets such as Spotify when the phone is turned off. If you want to take selfies with a higher-quality external camera, you can also use the display as a viewfinder.

I have two views on Flip 3. On the one hand, it is a very good phone. Even with the bend angle, it has one of the best displays in all smartphones I have seen, and its performance is excellent, especially when it comes to gaming. It also made many major improvements to the previous Z Flip model, moving it in a direction that meant normal business, and could actually keep pace with some other smartphones on the market.

Throughout my use of Flip 3, I found myself asking the same question over and over again: Is this enough to make me want to choose it on the Samsung Galaxy S21 or similar products? Although I like what's under the hood, I'm not sure if this is enough for me. To compare prices, the 128GB model of the standard Galaxy S21 retails for US$1,249, while the retail price of the S21+ is US$1,549. The 128GB Z Flip 3 is priced at $1,499.

Flip 3 was released together with Galaxy Z Fold 3, which is another foldable mobile phone experiment product of Samsung. Fold 3 has the ability to fold from a double-thick phone into a tablet, which is a very practical function. In contrast, Flip 3 is more aesthetically innovative. This may be okay for some people-there are many technologies that people prefer for aesthetic reasons rather than functional reasons.

However, from a purely aesthetic perspective, I think Flip 3 is a different attempt. In the past ten years, smartphone design has tended to be homogeneous. You can now choose from a glass and aluminum rectangle and a slightly different glass and aluminum rectangle.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is still part of this design trend to a large extent, but I like that it provides an alternative to the ring. If you look at the phones of the early 2000s, you will find a wide variety of shapes, styles, and designs—in a way, I think I miss these. Will Samsung Z Flip 3 usher in the revival of flip phones? Probably not, but I am glad that they made their efforts first.

Chris is an e-commerce editor responsible for many of the works of the Pedestrian Group. He firmly believes that pop culture has reached its zenith in Prince's "Bat Dance."

My God, the screen crease on the fold is disgusting

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