Samsung’s latest foldable was released today (August 26), with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 available for purchase at a shop or cellular provider near you. However, just because the phones are now accessible does not imply that you are ready to purchase these specific models.
Though foldable phones have been available in the smartphone market since 2019 (the year the original Galaxy Z Fold debuted), they remain a niche product. Samsung intends to change that. The latest versions outperform their predecessors, as shown in our Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 reviews. Even before the phone was released this month, TM Roh, Samsung’s president and head of its mobility division, predicted that foldable gadgets would become popular.
“We are approaching the point when these foldable smartphones are becoming more prevalent and claiming a larger share of the entire smartphone market,” Roh wrote in a blog post.
Are the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 the phones to stake that larger claim? What’s more, have they earned a folded-up spot in your pocket? There are numerous reasons to purchase either phone, depending on whether you like the larger screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or the flip phone-style appearance of the Galaxy Z Flip 4. However, a few remaining issues may cause you to pass on this year’s models.
Based on our time with the latest Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models, here’s a look at the pros and cons of Samsung’s foldable.
Why you should get the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Galaxy Z Flip 4
As previously stated, any of Samsung’s new foldable devices can point to various enhancements, from the phone’s outside to beefed-up specs, that make the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 significant upgrades over whichever cellphone you happen to be carrying around right now.
A revised hinge: Samsung uses a slimmer, lighter hinge, adding to a superior overall design for both devices. The Z Flip 4 may not be noticeably different from its predecessor, which already fits comfortably into a pocket, but the impact is felt on the Galaxy Z Fold 4. While the larger foldable remains a substantial device, it is no longer as cumbersome as it once was, and every little bit of polish helps.
A more powerful processor: Each new foldable phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, the greatest system-on-chip for Android phones available today. Get the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Galaxy Z Flip 4, and you’ll have a device that can easily manage demanding apps and multitask.
Better battery life than before: The battery life on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 was so bad that we were hesitant to endorse last year’s flip phone. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 performs better on our battery test because of a slightly larger power pack and the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 CPU enhancements. It’s still about 90 minutes less than the average smartphone, but it’s far superior to the Z Flip 3’s battery life.
Similarly, even though the battery size remained unchanged from the previous iteration, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 could stay longer on a charge. The Z Fold 4 still outperforms the adaptive display rate feature is disabled, but Samsung’s foldable is making strides in battery life.
And this is critical if the firm is to achieve its objective of making foldable mainstream electronics. The battery life of a smartphone is an important consideration when determining which one to buy. As Samsung’s foldable approach average performance for handsets with more traditional designs, they become more appealing to skeptical consumers.
Better multitasking features: One huge advantage of foldable phones is that you can use the extra screen real estate to accomplish tasks that would normally need a tablet or laptop while still enjoying the portability of a smartphone. That argument is clearly present on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which uses Android 12L’s features for large-screen devices to boost productivity.
We’re especially delighted by the redesigned Taskbar at the bottom of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 screen, which displays recent apps. As previously, you can run up to three apps at once, dragging and dropping material between the open windows with ease.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is less of a multitasking marvel, but it still has capabilities that benefit from its foldability. Flex Mode is a reintroduced feature that turns half of the Z Flip’s screen into a control panel. On the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung expanded Flex Mode to more apps, with Flex Mode now adding new controls to Instagram Reels, TikToks, videos, and vlogs.
Camera enhancements, notably for the Fold: Foldable phones aren’t exactly known for their great cameras, but this series of products from Samsung could change that. The modifications aren’t as noticeable on the Galaxy Z Flip 4, but the phone’s Night Mode stood out in our tests. Rather, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 emphasized improved camera hardware. Read More; Samsung Galaxy A73 Features, Specs, and Release Date
The new foldable, in particular, has a 50MP main camera, which is more in line with the camera array found in devices such as the Galaxy S22. As a result, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 could compete with the greatest camera phones in our testing, even outperforming the iPhone 13 Pro Max in a few cases. People will still buy foldable phones for reasons other than their camera capabilities, but the Galaxy Z Fold 4 shows that this isn’t an area where you have to make sacrifices to get a folding smartphone.
Why you should skip the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Galaxy Z Flip 4
To be clear, both of these smartphones are among the best foldable phones available, and they are significant advances over Samsung’s previous series of foldable. However, difficulties persist that are more related to the foldable market itself.
There is still a visible crease on display: If you fold a display in half, there will be a crease left at the hinge. Rumors about Samsung’s new foldable stated that the seam would be less obvious, but that is just not the case now that we have the phones in our hands. In fact, it’s extremely noticeable on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, especially in apps like Google Maps or in bright sunlight.
The crease makes the Z Fold 4 and the Z Flip 4 any less usable. Rather, the issue is one of aesthetics since when you pay this much for a phone, you expect it to appear flawless.
The price remains the same: This brings us to the main disadvantage of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip – they are still extremely costly phones.
Even the Galaxy Z Flip 4, which costs less than $1,000, falls into this category. The Z Flip 4 costs the same $999 as last year’s Galaxy Flip model, which broke the $1,000 barrier. And for that type of money, you can have a really powerful flagship gadget that doesn’t have the constraints of the Flip.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 costs the same as its predecessor, which is an exorbitant $1,799. Even if the report about a $100 price rise for the next iPhone 14 Pro variants is true, the more costly iPhone 14 Pro Max model would still cost $600 less than what Samsung charges for its foldable.
Samsung may speak all it wants about moving foldable phones into the mainstream, but until prices decrease from their current levels — especially in the case of the Fold — these will remain specialist gadgets. Read Also; Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Review: Show of Ambition
Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4: Buy or skip?
Despite all of Samsung’s foldable lineup advances this year, the equations for deciding whether to spend more for a foldable phone remain the same. The most significant advantage of foldable is the additional screen space. If you want a larger display and can afford the higher price, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are worth considering.
However, that price is a very high barrier for individuals to overcome, especially when really powerful phones, including those from Samsung, cost hundreds of dollars less. We like the improved cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the other enhancements Samsung has made to both new versions, but the price will ultimately determine how popular these folding handsets are.
