The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the fourth generation of the Fold series since it first debut in 2019. Since then, Samsung has drastically improved this device with each iteration being twice as good as its predecessor. However, with this new Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 it’s all about refinement. Nothing too crazy just subtle yet crucial upgrades.
It now comes with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ gen 1 chip, the camera system has been revamped although the layout looks exactly the same as its predecessor, the bezels are slightly thinner, just to name a few. Despite having all the bells and whistles of a flagship phone, can you really justify the $1799 starting price? In this article, we are going to discuss its design language, the cameras, battery life, the new taskbar and lastly, I will give you my final thoughts.
Specs.
- Material – Glass front (folded), Glass back, Plastic front (unfolded), Aluminum frame
- Display – 7.6” Dynamic AMOLED 2X
- Refresh rate – 120Hz (both displays)
- Peak brightness – 1200nits
- Cover display – 6.2” Dynamic AMOLED 2X
- IP rating – IPX7 water resistance
- OS – Android 12L
- Skin – One UI 4.1.1
- Chipset – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
- SD Card slot – No
- RAM – 12GB
- Storage – 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Triple Camera – 50MP (Wide), 10MP (Telephoto), 12MP (Ultrawide)
- Cover Selfie Camera – 10MP (Wide)
- Under display Camera – 4MP (Wide)
- Stylus support – Yes
- Loud speaker – Yes
- Headphone jack – No
- Bluetooth – 5.2
- NFC – Yes
- Ports – USB type C
- Security – Fingerprint sensor (side-mounted)
- Samsung DeX – Yes
- Battery Capacity – 4400mAh
- Fast Charging – 25W
- Fast Wireless Charging – 15W
- Reverse Wireless charging – 4.5W
- Colors – Graygreen, Phantom Black, Beige, Burgundy
- Starting Price – $1799
Design Language.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a very unique design. Unique in the sense that Samsung owns over 90% market share in the Folding phone industry. I think it is safe to say that Samsung has no major competitors as of yet. Despite this, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is by far one of the most innovative devices of the year.
The cover screen and the back are both made of strong Gorilla Glass Victus+ while the frame is made of Aluminum. Gorilla Glass Victus+ is currently the strongest glass offered by corning. It offers top notch drop and scratch resistance to your device. You can be assured of protection in case of a drop. The inner screen on the other hand is made of plastic and might I add that it is very delicate. This inner screen should be handled with a lot of care If you want to increase and get the most out of this phone’s lifespan.
It is also worth noting that the cover screen is 3mm wider thanks to the slimmer bezels. This gives you more screen real estate which is a good thing. The hinges are also slightly slimmer making them less noticeable when the phone is unfolded.
Cameras.
At the back of this phone, we have a triple camera layout; a 50MP main camera, a 12MP Ultrawide Camera and a 10MP Telephoto camera. Apart from the Ultrawide camera, both the Telephoto and the Main Camera have received major upgrades. Last year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 had a 12MP main camera which has been bumped up all the way to 50MP. In addition to this, the Telephoto lens now supports 3X optical Zoom and 30X digital Zoom instead of the 2X and 10X respectively in Galaxy Z Fold 3. It is no secret that the camera system in this phone is inferior to the ones in the S22 Ultra but the extra screen is worth the trade off in my opinion.
In regards to low light photography, Samsung claims that this device will receive the same upgrades and tweaks as the S22 series which is amazing. On the same note, Samsung claims that the new sensor in this phone captures 23% more light as compared to its predecessor. The more light a sensor can capture, the more data that can be processed which ultimately results in better image quality.
The under-display camera this year was well executed. The notch is barely visible unless you look for it. Unfortunately, the images produced by this camera are just unacceptable in 2022. In its defense though, this phone comes equipped with four other cameras to choose from.
Despite the rather poor image quality, the image processing in this phone is quite good thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. After the photo is taken, a lot of processing occurs to fix the photo. Although it is not perfect, the photo is a bit better. The 10MP Selfie camera takes decent photos, no complains here.
The new Taskbar and the S Pen.
New for this year, is the taskbar. Just like in a PC, you can access a taskbar which has various functionalities. With this new feature, you can access previously opened apps or even shortcuts to your favorite apps. This is the right direction for such a device as it enhances productivity in a whole new level. According to various sources, this feature will also be available to the other Samsung Fold phones via an update.
The Folding design makes it a productivity beast. Unlike anything in the market today, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a portable tablet which can easily become a phone when folded. To add cherry on top of the cake, this device has S Pen support. Although it does not have an in-built cutout like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, you can purchase the Z Fold 4 case with an S Pen holder. With the phone unfolded, you have access to a massive 7.6-inch dynamic AMOLED display. Here you can draw or even jot down some notes with the S Pen.
The whole S Pen functionality is cool, but the main feature that differentiates this device from ‘regular’ phones is its ability to multitask. With the inner screen unfolded, you can fit up to 3 apps on the screen at the same time. For example, you can have a YouTube video playing on one window, while Twitter and Instagram are opened in the other two windows. The layout and configuration is up to you, so get creative with it.
Battery life.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with a 4400mAh battery just like the Z Fold 3. Tests reveal, you can actually get over 9 hours of battery life out of this phone. This simply means that it can definitely last over a day depending on your usage.
This phone comes with 25W Fast wired charging and 15W fast wireless charging. These numbers are relatively low as compared to what Xiaomi and Oppo are producing. For example, the latest Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a 67W fast charging which means the phone can charge from 0 to 100% in 41 minutes. As for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 you can get 50% charge in 30 minutes which is not that bad. This phone also supports reverse wireless charging which comes in handy when you want to charge your pair of supported earbuds.
Final thoughts.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is amazing. There is nothing that combines this formfactor with the software experience in the market right now. If you want to hop in the Foldable market, there has never been a better time.
In addition to the unique design, this phone is full of productivity perks. Adding the S Pen to the Foldable experience was such an ingenious move by Samsung. However, the price is very disheartening. At $1799, it’s just too pricey for most people to afford. With the relatively bad durability record of these devices since they are new, you are better off with an S22 Ultra. But if you have some extra dinero to splurge, go for it.
Good article