Foldable smartphones are quite a new concept. They have quickly gained popularity as a convenient and innovative way to enjoy all the features of a traditional smartphone while also having the bonus of a flexible, foldable design. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the latest iteration, and it boasts a sleek and stylish design that sets it apart from other foldable smartphones on the market.
Let’s explore Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, including its key features, design, and performance. We’ll also compare it to other foldable smartphones and tell you whether it’s worth the investment. So if you’re considering purchasing a foldable smartphone or want to know more about the latest technology on the market, stick around for our in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Best Deal Today
You can find the Z Flip from a variety of retailers. Depending on your carrier of choice, you might be able to find a great deal. If you need help searching out the best deals, we have done some sleuthing for you here to find the best prices:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip – 128GB (Amazon) – $899
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip – 256GB (Amazon) – $959
- 6.7" Dynamic AMOLED
- 10x Digital Zoom
- 3,700mAh battery
- 10MP front camera
- Android 12 OS
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Overview
Release date and price
Samsung unveiled the Flip 4 at their Galaxy Unpacked event on August 10, 2022. The smartphone entered the market later that month, on August 25, 2022. Moreover, the phone is available in three different storage variants. The base model comes with 128GB of storage, and Samsung has placed it at $899. 256 GB and 512GB variants are available for those who do not usually use cloud storage and keep all their data in their phones. The 256 GB variant costs $959, and the 512 GB variant costs $1079. You can save up to $400 while using the option of trade-in.
Different Models
Samsung has specified their Z-series for foldable smartphones, just like they have reserved the S-series for their flagship, the face of the brand phones. The Z series further consists of the “Flip” and “Fold” phones. Both are foldable; the only difference is the plane of their folding. The flip phones fold in the horizontal plane while the Fold phones use the vertical plane for folding. A good example of a vertical fold style is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The classic flip-phone style Galaxy Z Flip series was first introduced in 2019, and since then, we’ve seen four generations of foldable smartphones. The common theme among all the successors has been “refinement” instead of “revolution.”
Features
Z Flip 4 is an insight into the future of smartphones. While flat-display smartphones had become the norm, a change was necessary. In an era where companies like Apple must increase the sizes of their top-of-line phones to offer a more extensive and brighter display, Samsung has decided to show the ace up its sleeve.
The Flip 4 has a top-quality, high-resolution, bright display, powerful speakers, handsome battery life, and a sleek design, setting it out in the world of foldable and non-foldable phones.
Adding another screen alongside the cameras, ease of customizability, a higher refresh rate, and a beautiful design will surely grab your attention. Samsung is always known to load its flagships with all the best hardware and software specs, but how does everything come together for a good user experience?
To understand how the Z Flip 4 does it all, we’ll have to look at the specs under the hood.
Specifications
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| Size | Unfolded: 165.2mm tall x 71.9mm wide x 6.9mm thickFolded: 84.9mm tall x 71.9mm wide x 15.9-17.1mm thick |
| Weight | 187g |
| Main Display | Type: Foldable, Dynamic AMOLED with HDR10+ supportResolution: 1080 x 2640Size: 6.7 inches diagonallyScreen-to-body ratio: ~85%Refresh rate: 1-120HzPixels per inch: 426ppi |
| Cover display | Type: Super AMOLEDSize: 1.9 inches diagonal resolution: 260 x 512Protection: Gorilla Glass Victus plus |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers are present on the right side of the charging portA front speaker alongside the camera module for calls |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) |
| Operating System | Android 12 out of the box, Upgradable to Android 13Samsung One UI 5 |
| Memory | 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage8GB RAM, 256GB Storage8GB RAM, 512GB Storage |
| Battery | Lithium-Po battery3700 mAh |
| Charging | 0-50% in 30m on a 25W charger supports Fast Wireless Charging up to 15WIt can be used for Slow Reverse Charging at 4.5W |
| Warranty | 1 Year Warranty offered by Samsung |
| Camera | Dual back cameras: 12MP primary camera12MP ultrawide cameraSingle front-facing camera: 10MP |
| Video shooting | Supports 4k video shooting up to 30fps |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Review
Galaxy Z Flip 4 has been in the market for a few months, and experts have tested it extensively. This lays the perfect ground for us to explore all the aspects of the smartphone and decide whether or not it’s worth your hard-earned money.
Design
The phone gives the vibe of the classic Panda Pixel 2 from its outlook, but it is more refined in both the look and feel. On the front, an edge-to-edge bezel-less display with a camera punchout in the top center shows off the phone’s premium components.
The unique aspect of the design is the hinge in the middle. It lies at the heart of this phone, both literally and figuratively. Samsung does an excellent job of providing a top-quality hinge with minimum friction. This keeps the “flipping” process smooth while giving it maximum stability at the same time. Additionally, the hinge can support any angle between “completely open” and “completely folded” states.
When you fold the phone, It is a small, square shape that easily fits in the palm of your hand. When you take the phone out of your pocket, it can be in any orientation. Finding the proper orientation can take a second or two. Additionally, it’s difficult to open the phone with one hand, making it rather awkward. But once you get it open, the phone conforms very comfortably to your hand.
Samsung embedded the fingerprint sensor on the side lock button instead of burying it under the screen. If you are switching from a Galaxy S series, it might take some time to get used to this unlocking pattern. Moreover, the volume buttons are also slightly higher, and it might be difficult for people to alter the volume while using the phone with a single hand.
Other than that, Samsung does an excellent job with the volume buttons. When the phone is flat, the upper button increases the volume. In contrast, the lower button decreases it. The sequence gets reversed when you fold the phone and use the accessory screen. The initial upper button reduces the volume, and the initial lower button increases the volume.
Main Display
Samsung is famous for its bright and sharp displays. Most tech experts agree that currently, Samsung provides the best displays across all the other phones. Samsung has kept the same standard for the Flip 4 too. They have not compromised on the screen quality to make it foldable.
The main screen, as we see on the front, is a Dynamic AMOLED panel, measuring 6.7″ diagonally. It comes with a 1080p resolution and ~426 PPI. The good thing about the display is the adaptive refresh rate. Samsung introduced the 120Hz refresh rate in Samsung Galaxy S20 for the first time. However, at that time, users only got to choose between 60Hz or 120Hz. But starting with the S21, Samsung gave its phones an Adaptive Refresh Rate.
In other words, your phone decides the best refresh rate, depending on your activity. If you are watching a 60fps YouTube video or playing PUBG at 90Hz, the phone will bump up the refresh rate to provide you with the best experience. But if you are viewing a pdf or reading an e-newspaper, you don’t need that 120Hz refresh rate to take an extra toll on the battery, and the phone will cut it down to 1Hz. This feature ensures a longer battery life while maintaining the best visual experience.
Flip 4 comes with even thinner bezels than we saw on Flip 3. It provides a ~87% screen-to-body ratio, which makes it perfect for watching your favorite seasons and movies. It also supports HDR10+, which gives greater depth and detail to the colors.
Cover Screen
The outside cover screen was also available in the Flip 3, but Samsung allows customizations in the Flip 4 that make it even better. If you use a Samsung watch, you can sync the display on both of these screens. This screen shows the date and time and allows quick access to the settings, calendar, music widget, and Timer. Moreover, you can activate the flashlight, accept a phone call or even start a new one.
Samsung is not settling for anything but the best, which is reflected by their choice of an AMOLED display for this accessory screen. This display is flagship stuff and gives a premium feel while using it. The sharpness is also outstanding.
Camera
The phone comes with a dual camera setup on the back. Both the primary and ultrawide cameras on the back are 12MP. A common mistake that people make is judging the camera by the number of mega-pixels that it offers. Picture quality is a combination of the image from the lens and then the processing of that image by the software. Overall, Samsung has also improved Optical and Electronic Image Stabilization in Flip 4.
Even though Flip 4 does not offer the insane 100x zoom as the S22 Ultra or the 108MP sensor, the results are still pretty decent. If you rate the S22 Ultra as a 10 in the field of the camera, then this device bags no less than 7 points. Portrait mode presents beautiful pictures with a clear separation between the foreground and the background.
The camera module lets 65% more light than the Flip 3. Videos are clear and sharp, and users can shoot up to 4k videos, but the frame rate drops to 30fps. Colour contrast, auto-tone, and edge detection are great. You can even use the accessory screen to access the camera and take sharp photos.
The front camera is a single 10MP camera, which takes sharp, colorful selfies. You will notice the usual “Samsung touch” to the colors, as they lie more on the deeper sides. Portrait mode also works for the front camera, and video quality is equally superb.
The phone’s foldability adds many features to the camera domain. You can fold the phone in half and use it as a cam recorder. Moreover, folding the phone in half shifts the video to the upper half, and you can show your palm to capture a photo: just Samsung and its world of customizations and accessibilities.
Performance
Flip 4 has three storage options, 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB. They all include 8GB RAM. Overall, this phone’s optimization is excellent and runs smoothly, similar to competing flagships. The GeekBench score is 3913, which clocks a score of up to 800,000 on AnTuTu (v9). In simpler terms, you will not see any lag in your daily routines. This phone can handle multiple apps running in the background efficiently.
Flip 4 runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen+ 1, using 4nm technology. It is one of the best mobile chips for games. The phone can support extensive gaming for hours. Additionally, due to a higher refresh rate and powerful processor now, you can play games at 90fps. One such popular game is PUBG, while other battle royals also run exceptionally smoothly.
Software.
On paper, Samsung uses the Android operating system by Google, but they customized it so much that it lost its stock android touch. Don’t get confused; the software is still relatively smooth and shows excellent app optimization. Additionally, Samsung introduced several accessibility features.
Customizable Home Screen: Users can customize the home screen by changing the layout and arrangement or adding or removing different app icons. The phone also supports wallpapers you can download and install through third-party apps.
Customizable Lock Screen: Users can add weather or calendar widgets to the lock screen to remind them of their upcoming appointments and weather forecast. There is also an option of adding your details if your phone gets lost. You can also choose the same wallpaper as the home screen or a different one.
Customizable Notification Panel: You can customize the notification panel too. Select the widgets you most commonly use and display them at the top. This allows quick access with just a single swipe. More widgets are available with a second swipe. Also, you can adjust the brightness panel to show on the bottom or top.
Always On Display: Users can choose from different clock configurations to show on the screen once the display goes into sleep mode.
One UI: Samsung has introduced its User Interface called One UI. This comes with new features like Night Mode, One-Handed Display, Screen Recorder, and much more.
Samsung Themes: Users can customize the overall theme of the phone by using wallpaper, icons, font style, and size of their choice. This is the peak of personalization that any other smartphone is yet to reach.
Bixby: Bixby is to Samsung, Siri is to Apple, and Alexa is to Google. Users can use it similarly and control their devices through voice commands.
Folding features: Samsung calls it Flex Mode, the software that allows you to use both halves of the screen. For this to function, you must fold the screen in half so that one half is lying horizontally while the other is vertically upright. This will divide most of the apps you’re using into two components. You can have a Google Video Call while having the phone in the propped-up position. You can also watch a YouTube video, with the video playing in the upper compartment and the controls in the lower half.
Battery
Battery life was an issue in the Z flip 3. Having a hinge in the middle takes a toll on the battery space. But Samsung solved the problem with better engineering and optimization. Two batteries in this phone are linked by an electrical circuit, which helps them offer the advantage of a single large battery.
When put to the test in real life, Z Flip 4 did an excellent job. The phone lasted around 9hr 04min with intense battery usage, including social media apps, video streaming, and gameplay. It even beat the S22 Ultra by a margin of 8 minutes. That might seem small on paper, but the S22 Ultra has a 5000 mAh battery compared to the 3700 mAh battery on the Flip 4.
The battery life has improved, and the phone can easily make it through the day with some charging left. Additionally, fast charging capabilities make any battery woes a thing of the past. You can get up to 50% of the battery with only a 30-minute charge.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Compact design
- Great speakers
- Excellent Display
Cons:
- Not entirely dust-proof
- Noticeable display crease
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Is It a Buy?
So, should you buy Flip 4 or not? Even with so many cool features, not everyone will adore the foldable design.
Buy it if:
You like “SMART” phones that utilize the latest techs. This phone is one of the best compact devices out there. It fits easily in your pocket, grips perfectly in your hands, and is easily portable. You can access most of the day-to-day features, such as attending calls, checking the weather, playing music, or watching the time from the accessory screen, without having to unfold the phone.
Also, consider this phone if you are looking for a great display at an affordable price. When the phone entered the market, it was priced at $999. But now it is available at $100 lower than the original price. Moreover, you can avail of the 128 GB model for as low as $499 if you opt for an a-trade-in.
Additionally, the Z Flip 4 makes a great value. This smartphone is a blend of good speakers, excellent display, fast processing, and good cameras, which can fulfill your day-to-day needs easily while satisfying the “compact” requirement.
Don’t buy it if:
You take pictures frequently: The camera on this smartphone is pretty good but not as sharp and detailed as an S22 Ultra or iPhone 14 Pro max. Moreover, the Z Flip 4 is not rated highly for dust protection. While it has sufficient water resistance, you might not want to take this phone to the beach.
Also, if you love the Stock Android, Samsung UI is nowhere near the Pixel UI in giving the stock android feel. So, if you love that interface and want regular android updates within a short time frame, you might skip this phone.
Check out the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip on Amazon today.
