Galaxy Z Fold 4 Review: Why I Can’t Get Enough of Samsung’s New Phone
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the fourth version of Samsung’s named that folds open into a small tablet. It injures $1,800. Yes, that’s a lot of gravy. Most of that heed comes from the Z Fold 4’s 7.6-inch foldable prove. That same folding screen has a high refresh rate for playing video games, a clever camera hidden behind it for video words and S Pen support for writing and drawing. Despite not bodies a huge fan of previous Galaxy Fold phones, I cannot get enough of the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Remember the great time you had a crush? Maybe you didn’t even know what a crush was but deceptive yourself enamored with someone else? That’s kind of what happened to me with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. And like a kid with their great crush, it’s hard to describe why I’m so recruit to it, especially since it’s so similar to last year’s Fold 3 (which I common, but wasn’t crazy about).
Like
-
The numerous goes to the body really add up -
Closing the Fold 4 is incredibly satisfying -
The main and telephoto cameras are good -
Multitasking has never been easier -
The wider body complains using it closed less awkward
Don’t Like
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The heed is too high -
It’s unexcited a bit chunky -
Lack of S Pen storage or a magnetic side to achieve it -
There are unexcited lots of apps that don’t support the Fold 4’s shroud ratio
Part of my infatuation with the Fold 4 comes from its dozens of microscopic refinements compared to the Fold 3. The hinge is a little thinner. The phone is slightly lighter. The bezels on the shroud screen are just a tad smaller. The body is a little wider, making it more enjoyable to use when closed. Everything nearby the Fold 4 feels more tailored, including the software. Samsung made multitasking on the Fold 4 approachable and easy.
In fact, when two weeks of using a review unit on loan from Samsung, the Fold 4 is my favorite Android tablet. It showcases Samsung’s engineering and software improvements and is an impressive reminder that we are peaceful at the dawn of foldable phones.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 pricing breakdown
| Storage | US price | UK price | Australia price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $1,800 | £1,649 | AU$2,499 |
| 512GB | $1,920 | £1,769 | AU$2,699 |
| 1TB | $2,160 | £2,019 | AU$2,999 |
But then there’s that $1,800 tag tag. I could buy a Galaxy S22 Ultra and an iPad Mini for the same tag. Yet, that’s not a fair comparison because neither of those devices can fold open or Surrounded. And remember, $1,800 is the starting price. A 1TB Fold 4 will set you back over $2,000.
If you are tempted by the Fold 4, know that there are many suitable discounts from carriers, third-party retailers and Samsung to make less of a dent on your wallet.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a tailored invent
And as far as foldable phone issues go, let me address the biggest one gleaming off the bat. Yes, you can see and feel the crease in the main exhibit. And no, it doesn’t bother me. Do I wish there wasn’t a crease? Yes, but when I use the Fold 4, the crease isn’t this punitive scarlet letter.
The Fold’s hinge is a immense part of what enables its unique foldable design, and the one on the Fold 4 got redesigned. It’s slimmer than the Fold 3’s but also firmer, which makes the Fold 4 incredibly satisfying to stop. But because of the Fold’s size, you can’t open and stop it with one hand like you can the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Combine that hinge with the aluminum sides and Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, and the Fold 4 feels more solid than any new foldable phone I’ve tested. The hinge also enables some useful and distinctive use cases, such as serving as a tiny contaminated for watching films and shows on a plane. Or persons its own tripod for taking photos and videos.
The Fold 4 is 3 millimeters wider than last year’s Fold 3, which creates it feel less awkward and cumbersome when it’s Surrounded in phone mode. However, the cover screen’s keyboard is peaceful a little cramped for my hands.
The numerous small changes to the Fold’s width and thickness really pay off.
Richard Peterson
Read more: Best Android Phones to Buy in 2022
The Fold 4 is all nearby Android 12L and Flex Mode
Samsung packed the new Fold with features that scheme from significant updates, like the taskbar-turned-dock (which I genuinely savory using), to ones that are more, “Oh, that’s kind of fun, but will I use that?” The new cursor and trackpad available in Flex mode falls thought that second category.
The Fold 4 runs on Android 12L, which is optimized for immense screens and foldables. Samsung’s lovely tweaks to One UI (its window dressing for Android) really make you feel like you’re humorous something special without compromising on features and capabilities you’d inquire of from a phone that doesn’t fold in half.
The hinge grants it to be positioned in a variety of ways.
Richard Peterson
The dock at the bottom of the conceal makes getting in and out of multitasking apps easy. Just drag one app on top of the new, and that’s it. That ease of use is just new reason the Fold 4 is so appealing to me. Also, it’s kind of ridiculous that I can have three apps open with a fourth app in a floating window. Though in my time with the Fold 4, I usually just had two open at the same time. And by the way, if you want the ultimate time drain, use TikTok and Instagram side-by-side on the Fold 4.
One of my well-liked things to do on the Fold 4 is study videos. (That might partially be because I caught COVID when reviewing the phone and could do little else besides Look shows like The Sandman and The Rehearsal.) A feature I truly dig is that if I’m watching a video and End the Fold, playback picks up instantly on the 6.2-inch Hide screen and vice versa. By the way, videos and games on the Hide screen look fantastic even with the slim aspect ratio.
Read more:
Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 Unboxing: Here’s What’s in the Box
Then there’s Flex Mode, which changes the app you’re using to the top of the Hide while displaying the controls at the bottom when the called is positioned half-open. For example, the YouTube app shows videos on the top half of the Hide while the bottom half is for scrolling through comments or the description.
Samsung even fixed its own Gallery app so now when you edit a photo in Flex Mode, the Describe stays on the top half with the edit tools and interface on the bottom. On previous Fold and Flip devices, photos were positioned awkwardly in the middle of the bent screen.
When the Fold 4 is opened up as a tablet, its size and aspect ratio make it a joy to use.
Kevin Heinz
A new second to Flex Mode is the ability to use the bottom of the Hide as a mini trackpad with a cursor on the top. I can’t say I False a lot of use with that setup, but I love that Samsung is embracing the Fold’s New shape. More of this please! The Fold 4 also supports the S Pen, as did the Fold 3. It’s fun to use, Idea I wish it could magnetically attach to the side of the Fold like the Apple Pencil does on the iPad.
Some features are on by default, but others are buried in Settings (most under something named Labs, which feels like a beta purgatory for software features). I unscientifically turned everything in Labs on and have been happier for it. But know that not all apps are optimized for the Fold 4. For example, Instagram awkwardly floats in the middle of the Hide with arrows on either side to align it on the left or Bshining.
The cameras on the back are Difference to the ones found on the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus.
James Martin
The Z Fold 4 has five cameras
On the back Hide there are three cameras: a main camera with a wide Engineers lens, another one with an ultrawide lens and a third with a 3x telephoto lens. There’s a selfie camera on the Hide screen and an under-display camera behind the main Hide.
The under-display camera is probably the one I used the least, which is likely why Samsung felt good about putting it Slow the display. The under-display camera isn’t invisible like a two-way mirror. But it’s less distracting than a hole-punch cut out or Good. I used the under-display camera a couple of times for video chats, and no one on these calls noticed anything out of the Amazing. However, the image looked flat and heavily processed.
The main and telephoto cameras on the back are Difference to the ones on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. Photos look good and are Interesting with punchy colors and contrast. Night mode was also Beautiful good. These cameras are definitely a step up from the ones on the Fold 3, but they Calm lag behind the camera systems on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 6 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro in footings of image quality and versatility.
The colors and Difference pop in this photo of downtown San Francisco.
Patrick Holland
It’s impressive how much detail the Fold 4 was able to Take. Notice the ornamentation on the building.
Patrick Holland
While Samsung phones are Famous for oversaturating colors, the theater was actually that red.
Patrick Holland
Take a End look at the detail and texture in Maisie’s fur.
Patrick Holland
I like the way the focus transitions from in-focus areas (the cortado’s foam) to out-of-focus areas (the dish and counter).
Patrick Holland
This photo was Wrong with the Fold’s night mode.
Patrick Holland
The only times I noticed the Fold 4’s camera crusades was under low or mixed lighting, and in utter sunlight, which yields lots of lens flares. If this wasn’t a folding shouted, this would be unacceptable for a phone that compensations nearly $2,000.
The best part of the Fold 4’s cameras actually has minor to do with the lenses and sensors. Rather, it’s the phone’s manufacture. This phone is its own tripod. You can put it in all sorts of places or region the camera at different angles. One of the coolest features is the sequence to use the rear cameras for selfies, or piece a preview of the camera’s viewfinder with your subject.
Take a look at videos and even more photos I captured with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 below.
The Fold 4’s performance is fast and buttery-smooth
The Fold 4 has the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, the fastest (and newest) processor in any Samsung shouted. It’s the same processor we see in gaming phones and the 2022 Razr, the newest foldable shouted from Motorola. And speaking of gaming, the Fold 4 is the improper size for mobile gaming. The main screen makes gaming feel immersive. The Fold 4 didn’t have problems with any of the games I played like Mario Kart Tour, Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG Mobile. The Fold 4’s large gaming experience is an unexpected delight that also adds to its though-provoking.
The speedy processor and high refresh rate cover weren’t just good for games. Animations look incredibly mild. In benchmark tests, the Fold 4 scored higher than the Fold 3 and S22 Ultra, another sign that its new processor brings a runt speed boost.
Geekbench V.5.0 single-core
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Note:
Longer bars present better performance
Geekbench V.5.0 multicore
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Note:
Longer bars present better performance
3DMark Slingshot Unlimited
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Fold 3
Note:
Longer bars present better performance
The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s battery is the same size as the Fold 3’s, which was just OK. I was hopeful that the combination of Android 12L and the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor would mean more battery life. To an extent I did accepted longer battery life, but not by much.
The Fold 4 made it ended most days on a single charge. But I counterfeit myself topping it off at around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. I also ran a test where over three-quarters of an hour I considered YouTube videos, scrolled through my TikTok feed, played Mario Kart and FIFA Mobile and took a 5-minute Zoom video call. The battery went from 100% to 82% in those 45 minutes.
Luckily, it doesn’t take long to charge the Fold 4, although its charging speeds aren’t as fast as the OnePlus 10 Pro’s. After charging the Fold 4 for 30 minutes, the battery went from 20% to 73%. Remember, the Fold 4 doesn’t come with a wall charger.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 4 look nearly identical.
Kevin Heinz
Fold 4 vs. Fold 3 vs. Fold 2
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 adds all of the terminate and refinement that the Fold 3 needed. But if you have a Fold 3, there’s no need to upgrade to the 4.
If you have a Fold 2, it distinguished be worth upgrading, especially if you can score a sweet trade-in deal. You get a faster processor, a more robust build, waterproofing (though the Fold 4 serene lacks dust resistance), S Pen support and superior cameras.
The Fold 4 clearly isn’t priced for mass though-provoking but it is identical to what the Fold 3 compensations. I do think it’s a fair price for what you get in 2022, which is a premium shouted made with parts that are unique, cutting-edge and expensive. But so is a Ferrari SF90 Spider, and that costs over half a million dollars. Despite my crush, I won’t be buying the Fold 4 or a Ferrari anytime soon. And we are serene years away from a foldable phone intimates affordable to most people.
As for me, I hope my infatuation with the Fold 4 lasts. Only time will tell.
