The most surprising thing about Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 is that it is already in its fourth generation version. As someone who spent a lot of time with the first and second generation Z Fold, it’s fascinating to see how far Samsung has taken its foldable display technology design in a short period of time.
But if you were hoping for a Galaxy Fold 2, or perhaps even a Fold 3-like design leap with the Fold 4, you’ll be disappointed with Samsung’s latest foldable flagship.
With that in mind, it looks like the South Korean tech giant’s foldable has reached a design plateau, at least to some extent. The overall look of the Fold 4 is almost identical to the Fold 3, including its sleek matte back and vertically oriented triple camera rear.
As you’d expect, the device still unfolds like a book, giving you a 7.6-inch QXGA+ AMOLED interior display when unfolded and a more standard smartphone-like 6.2-inch secondary HD+ display when it folds Both displays also have a 120Hz refresh rate and generally look impressive.
This year, the Z Fold 4’s hinge is slightly thinner than its predecessor, at 15.8mm compared to 16mm with the Fold 3. In practice, the 3mm doesn’t really make the phone feel any different from the hand when not folded. The Fold 4 is a very thick smartphone when folded.
It would have been great if Samsung could find a way to push the Fold 4’s design in a meaningful way and make the device feel more like a standard phone when not unfolded. On the other hand, the glass on the display feels great and more like a traditional smartphone display, just like the Fold 3.
Other notable changes include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and a revamped main shooter with increased megapixels. The Fold 4’s main camera is now up to 50-megapixel f/1.8, while the ultra-wide is up to 12-megapixel f/2.2 and the telephoto lens (3x optical zoom) is up to 10-megapixel f/2.4, the same as last year . .
The main sensor is now up to 50 megapixels f/1.8, with the ultra wide 12 megapixels f/2.2 and the telephoto (3x optical zoom) up to 10 megapixels f/2.4.
The in-display camera below the display is identical to last year’s 4-megapixel f/2.8 camera and blends a bit better with the smartphone’s display. Finally, the camera on the cover is still 10 megapixel f/2.2.
In theory, the 50-megapixel shooter should offer improved low-light performance and images that retain quality better when shot. In my very brief tests, the camera performed well, even in low-light conditions, and is a noticeable step up from the Fold and Fold 2’s shooter, although photos look very similar to the quality of the Fold 3’s main lens.
It’s also worth noting that Samsung has stuck with the same 4-megapixel f/1.8 camera under the display this year. The Fold 4 seems to take decent selfies that are a cut above what we saw last year with the Fold 3, but I can’t help but wish Samsung would stick with the punch-hole shooter design it features on other devices, as it still allows for a higher quality camera overall.
I appreciate the company’s efforts to experiment with under-display camera technology, but given that the lens is still obviously visible despite Samsung’s claims (especially with darker content), an “Infinity-O” shooter would have been preferable “. The 10-megapixel cover camera also remains identical at 10-megapixel f/2.2.
Unfortunately, the Fold 4 doesn’t include a note-like in-device storage slot for the S Pen, as some rumors indicated it would. The stylus is sold separately, and the only way to store it is with a specific case that Samsung sells, just like the Fold 3.
Given that the Fold 4 is such an expensive smartphone, it would have been great if Samsung had offered the S Pen as a bundle alongside the device, especially since the Note series remains dead.
At this point, the concept of a foldable smartphone is established, and when it comes to the shell vs. book argument, I’ve always preferred the latter. The design has real utility as it allows you to carry a tablet in your pocket. As beautiful and fresh as the Flip series is, it just can’t compete in that regard.
Still, at this price, the Fold series is still far from accessible to most smartphone buyers.
In Canada, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at $2,269 for the 256GB version and is available in “Green Grey,” “Moon Beige,” and “Ghost Black.” The 512GB model starts at $2,429.
The Z Fold 4 will be available for pre-order on August 10th and will launch on August 26th. For more on Samsung Unpacked, check out our impressions of the Galaxy Flip 4. We’ll have a full review of the Fold 4 in the coming weeks.