The question of which phone to buy is an everyday dilemma in the modern world. Today, I’m comparing two of the most popular phones in the market that could answer that question: what comes out on top between the iPhone 13 Pro and the Galaxy Z Flip 3?

First, I’ll talk about the contender from Samsung – the Z Flip 3. The new Flip is featured in seven unique color palettes – Phantom Black, Pink, Lavender, Green, Cream, and the White or Bespoke Edition (featuring custom colors!) – all covering its slim, lightweight, and compact chassis. Like the previous Galaxy phones, it can be unlocked using either the fingerprint sensor or facial recognition. The Galaxy also made strides in the camera department, with a wide and an ultra-wide lens on its rear, and one front-facing camera on the opposite side.

I interviewed some Flip owners to find out how they feel about the phone. Teeno, an IT YouTuber, claims: “The good thing about the Z Flip is that it is portable. It’s easier to put the phone in your pocket than other iPhones and Galaxy phones.”

My friend Yujun’s mother, a Z Flip owner, exclaimed: “I really like the phone overall. I think this is one of the most outstanding phones in the industry. The ability to fold the phone in half makes it easier to carry around, and the cover display makes it so that you don’t have to open the phone frequently.” She also added her input on Samsung’s improvements: “The phone’s interface and linking to Samsung’s other devices got better — I enjoyed using the new Galaxy Watch 4 too. I like how Samsung is different from Apple, and that it often tries new things and new technologies in their devices.” Overall, many users praised this phone for its portability and connections to other Samsung devices.

The heavyweight in this comparison couldn’t be from anywhere but Apple – the iPhone 13 Pro comes in 4 gorgeous finishes: Sierra Blue, Gold, Silver, and Graphite. It’s about 20 grams heavier than the Z Flip, and the display is half an inch smaller.

The iPhone 13 Pro also features an impressive spec sheet, arguably more so than the Flip. Apple’s Super Retina display and ProMotion 120hz refresh rate is also incorporated within the system for smooth, seamless animations. The 13 Pro employs three cameras, just like its predecessor: telephoto, wide, and ultra-wide.

Dolby Atmos, an immersive audio system that replicates the surround speaker layout of a movie theater, is also supported. Alongside the bumped-up battery size, the latest iPhone is packing a big punch – the best facial recognition system in the industry, Face ID. The bio-recognition system is very convenient; as an avid user of the iPhone XR, I can say that I prefer it over unlocking my phone with my fingerprint. 

 Seventh-grade iPhone user Yujun commented on the 13 Pro: “First of all, I liked the 120hz ProMotion. It has double the refresh rate of the previous iPhone, and it is so smooth. Second, I could feel the camera’s improvement a lot. Cinematic mode (a filming mode where the field of depth on figures is reproduced through software) is wonderful,” he commended.

Despite being an Apple fanboy, I would honestly choose the Galaxy Z Flip. Its light, compact, and portable appeal outweighs the premium yet hefty build quality of the iPhone. The Z Flip 3’s larger screen makes it much easier to consume content, which is a vital part of everyday device usage. While the iPhone does have an industry-leading camera system, I simply don’t value that feature as much, as I rarely make use of my phone’s cameras. I recommend the Galaxy Z Flip 3 to students who prefer other utilities over the camera, like me. 

What would you choose? The iPhone 13 Pro or Galaxy Z Flip? Leave your opinion in the comment section.