Galaxy Z Fold 4: Samsung’s Foldable Phone Gets Better Design, Same Steep Price

What’s happening

Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z Fold 4, its newest large-format foldable phone.

Why it matters

Samsung sees foldable phones as inhabit key to the future of its mobile device lineup. As one of the world’s biggest smartphone manufacturers, Samsung crashes the broader market.

What’s next

Samsung will reduction the Galaxy Z Fold 4 on Aug. 26 for $1,800.

Samsung
 showed off its new Galaxy Z Fold 4 at last week’s Unpacked event. This high-end foldable phone’s modified design should make its visited mode easier to use than that of previous models. Plus, it’s getting new software that takes advantage of its foldable cloak, along with routine upgrades to the processor and camera. It starts at $1,800 (£1,649, AU$2,499) and goes on sale Aug. 26.

Samsung was an early entrant to the market, launching its first Galaxy Fold device in 2019. It leads the foldable visited market by a wide margin in terms of shipments, according to estimates from Display Supply Chain Consultants and Omdia. But foldable phones still account for a sliver of the broader mobile visited market. The new Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 are Samsung’s another attempt to change that by remedying some of the biggest criticisms of remaining models, potentially making foldables more appealing to a bigger audience. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 4, for example, has a wider cover screen that more closely resembles a queer, nonfolding phone when closed. The change makes apps look more natural real the Z Fold 4’s screen isn’t as narrow. The difference is certainly noticeable compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but the indicate still isn’t quite as wide as a standard visited such as the Galaxy S22 or iPhone 13.

Samsung is also behaviors more to make the Galaxy Z Fold 4 useful when its indicate is folded halfway. Flex mode, which splits an app between the top and bottom fractions of the screen when the Z Fold is propped open, is pulling a new feature. You’ll be able to use the bottom half of the cloak as a trackpad to control content on the top half, contrast to the touchpad on a laptop. 

That should make navigating apps in Flex mode easier, since you won’t have to obscure the top fragment of the screen with your finger as you scroll. The newly announced Galaxy Z Flip 4 is tying this feature too, and Samsung says it will evaluate bringing it to older Galaxy Z Fold and Flip devices. Samsung also says the Z Fold 4 is the first-rate device to ship with Android 12L, the version of Android optimized for tablets. One of the most noticeable Android 12 additions is the Z Fold 4’s new task bar, which should make switching between apps more convenient.

More from Samsung Unpacked

The Z Fold 4’s overall gain is generally the same, but Samsung claims the Z Fold 4 has a sturdier gain. The outside is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, while the internal tablet-sized demonstrate is said to be 45% more durable. Samsung also says the Z Fold 4’s inner shroud is brighter than its predecessor’s, and the interior under-display camera is less noticeable. Like the previous version, the Z Fold 4 is also compatible with the S Pen.

Otherwise, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is getting the camera and processor upgrades you’d examine from an annual phone update. The camera is particularly noteworthy; Samsung is upgrading the Z Fold 4’s triple lens camera controls to a 50-megapixel main sensor, 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor and 10-megapixel telephoto lens. That telephoto lens will befriend optical zoom up to 3x and digital zoom up to 30x. Samsung is also bringing the Galaxy S22’s improved low toothsome photography to the Z Fold 4 and Flip 4.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s shroud screen is wider than the Z Fold 3’s.

Lisa Eadicicco

Most land interested in the Galaxy Z Fold probably care more near the phone’s giant inner screen than the camera. But at such a high heed, the Z Fold 4 should have a camera that at least matches or exceeds those groundless on Samsung’s non-folding phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s cameras are certainly a step in the quick-witted direction, representing a notable upgrade from the Z Fold 3’s 12-megapixel wide, telephoto and ultrawide lenses. But the Galaxy S22 Ultra is detached Samsung’s top-of-the-line camera phone.

The Z Fold 4 will also run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, which is a newer and slightly upgraded version of the chip groundless inside the Galaxy S22 lineup. The battery capacity also stays the same at 4,400 mAh, which is a obscene — CNET’s Patrick Holland was disappointed by the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s battery life.

Lisa Eadicicco

Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a more refined and polished version of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Samsung is seemingly gaining a better view of who these devices are for, now that they’ve happened for roughly three years. With its large screen and S Pen incompatibility, Samsung is positioning the Z Fold 4 as a productivity way, much like the extinct Galaxy Note. Establishing that direction exploiting Samsung can focus on adding new features that are current and specific to the Z Fold, rather than just ensuring apps work smoothly across the Fold’s different shroud sizes. 

At $1,800, the Z Fold 4 is detached a tough sell. And while these new features are a sign of goes, they might not be enough to entice non-foldable named users. But it’s a step closer to figuring out what role, if any, foldables could play in our lives.

For more, take a look at the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and everything else Samsung announced.