The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 are fantastic folding phones that have an IPX8 water-resistant rating and lower price than years past. These two phones are still very expensive and deserve some protection, especially when you manipulate them with a folding or flipping action to use their inner main displays.
Speck is one of my favorite case makers, primarily due to most of its cases offering 13-foot drop test certification and an enhanced tactile feel of the phone. Its latest case offerings, the Speck Presidio Perfect Clear Fold for the Z Flip 3 and Presidio Perfect Clear Fold for the Z Fold 3 are clear, one-piece, protective cases that provide drop protection for up to 13-feet. I expect most people may drop their phone from the three to four feet range, but it’s nice to know there is a margin for corner and back protection.
Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review: Room for improvement
Both cases have similar design elements so we’ll cover the common features first. The Z Flip 3 case is priced at $59.95 and the Z Fold 3 case at $64.95. This makes sense given that the Z Fold 3 case is larger than the Z Flip 3 case, but the amount of material on the case is about the same since the Z Fold 3 front portion is mainly just a minimal frame to cover the large display.
The cases are available only in clear and Speck’s Perfect-Clear coating is designed to resist yellowing and discoloration. If you happen to have one of the new Samsung foldables in a different color then you may want to show off that color so it’s great to see these Speck cases support that desire.
Each case has a single-piece design and you simply slide the phone into the case and work the case around the edges. The two halves are connected at two edges with flexible material while the Samsung hinges remain open. It will be interesting to see how well this hinge connection on the case performs after months of use, but the case has a lifetime warranty so Speck believes it will hold up to all of the opening and closing. This flexible material extends around the entire top edge of the phone case so when the case is opened there is a tactile edge to it. This raised edge lets you set your phone face down when opened and relax knowing it won’t slide off of the surface. This design also then creates a quick-access groove along the edges of the closed phone so that you can much more easily flip open each phone.
One nice feature of Speck’s Presidio line is the Microban treatment. This means that the cases have Microban antimicrobial treatment that provides a 99% reduction in bacteria that can cause staining and odor on your phone. This treatment is integrated into the cases so it remains present in the case for the life of the case.
Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 review: A stunning foldable
On the Z Flip 3 case, there are raised buttons for volume control with an opening for the power/fingerprint sensor. This design improves your ability to easily target the fingerprint sensor with your phone in the case. On the Z Fold 3 case, there is a long opening so that you press the native volume buttons and power/fingerprint sensor directly.
A perfectly designed opening is also present on the back for the rear camera array. There is a bit of hard plastic material angled from the back down to the camera array too. On the Z Flip 3, Speck has an extended opening that includes the space for the small cover display, but the angled design is the same. Openings are also present in the case for microphones, speakers, and the USB-C port.
While the raised edges help protect the display when open, this edge does not impact your ability to fully access and use the display. Wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, and Samsung Pay are all fully functional when your phone is mounted in the cases. There is very little weight added with these cases and Speck has done a great job with the design while offering a fairly reasonable price for protecting your expensive new phones.
If you are looking for a case to use with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 or Z Fold 3 then I highly recommend the Speck Presidio Perfect Clear Fold. You can even get 30% off your first order at Speck when you sign up for the newsletter. The case comes with a lifetime warranty and will easily outlast your phone while also helping protect it from accidental drops and bumps.