Revisiting Samsung’s fourth generation of foldables – the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4

Over the years, foldable phones have gained popularity at different times. First came the Motorola StarTAC which was launched in 1996. But the first pinnacle of this technology came in 2003 when the same company launched its Motorola Razr and it became a sensation. However, even the popularity of the Razr wasn’t enough for companies to consider the foldable phone segment as viable and the technology never took off as brands like Nokia stuck to their tried and tested designs, which fueled the popularity. Thus, any major development in the foldable smartphone industry almost came to a halt.

However, all this changed when Samsung entered the market in 2019 with its Galaxy Fold. While it was not the first foldable smartphone to be launched with a touchscreen display, it was a turning point in the smartphone industry as Samsung showed that there was indeed potential for these devices. About 6 months later, the Galaxy Flip arrived, combining the Moto Razr’s clamshell design with modern features. Since then Samsung has never looked back.

There have been several iterations of the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip over the years, and they’ve all improved on the foldable technology based on the success of their predecessors. Now, as we gear up for the launch of Samsung’s next generation of foldables in 2023, it’s the perfect time to look back at the fourth generation – the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: A look at the good, the bad and the ugly

With the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung finally brought stability to a smartphone segment that was still considered fragile by most. It got an IPX8 water resistance rating, improved design, and became lighter. However, there was still much left to do. People complained about poor battery life and a substandard camera on the Z Fold 3. So, when Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 4 a year later, tech enthusiasts were left disappointed as it looked almost identical to its predecessor on paper. But, this was far from the case.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 may debut in 2022, with new display panels, a refined design, an improved hinge, better cameras, and more. The new phones had new displays with better aspect ratios and increased resolutions, eliminating the need for tablets for most people as it was almost perfect for viewing extreme content. Although it had a candy-bar form factor, the phone felt more comfortable to hold for long periods of time.

In her review, The Verge’s Alison Johnson said, “I didn’t understand the power of this tool until I used Fold 4 to compile and present expense reports. It’s the power not to get up off the couch to pick up my laptop. It’s glorious.”

Furthermore, the Z Fold 4 features a new camera setup with a primary 50MP sensor and a 10MP 3X zoom lens borrowed from the Galaxy S22+. And although it wasn’t the best camera phone on the market, the Z Fold 4 was much better than its predecessor. Samsung also improved the hinge, making it more durable, and now the battery life is much better. While it had the same 4400mAh battery, the change to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 worked wonders as it got rid of all the heating issues that severely affected the battery life of the device.

Issues

While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 was a vast improvement over its predecessor, some problems remained. The crease of the display was still very noticeable which was a major issue on its predecessors as well. The under-display front camera was still average and its pixels could be seen on a few occasions. It was a hefty device at 263 grams. There was no SD card slot for memory expansion and while the phone came with S-Pen support, it was sold separately. Also, it still has 25W charging speed, whereas 60W was common on Android phones. Oh, and no power adapter was included with the Z Fold 4 either.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Did it perform any better?

While the Galaxy Z Fold 4 became a hit (despite its shortcomings) due to the improved display panel, better battery life and adjusted aspect ratio, the Z Flip 4 was surprisingly similar to its predecessor. However, it included several internal improvements which made it a better option to choose.

While the design was nearly identical to the Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Flip 4 had flat edges, larger camera lenses, a solid hinge, and significantly better battery life. It was also a bit heavy, but that’s because the battery got a boost in terms of numbers, and the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 also contributed to better battery life. It had the same 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, although it now offered an adaptive refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz. While the external display remained the same, more customization options were now available.

Everything else on the Z Flip 4 was the same as the Z Flip 3. The cameras, sensors, design and even the fingerprint reader placement remained the same. So, while on paper it appears to be identical to the Z Flip 3 except for a few subtle changes, it was a faster and faster device than its predecessor.

However, the same problems persisted on the Z Flip 4 as well. The creases of the display were still quite noticeable, and the phone couldn’t close completely, as there was a gap between them. And while the phone was IPX8 rated, this gap allowed elements like dust to collect, even when the phone was put away on a table without touching it.

Future

As we get closer to the launch of Samsung’s next generation of foldables, we can expect the company to build on the success of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 by introducing devices that will once again dominate the foldable smartphone market. After all, at a hefty price tag of $999 for the Z Flip 4 and $1799 for the Fold 4, these devices are expected to represent the best the foldable smartphone industry has to offer.